A Changed Universe
by LavenderStorm
Summary: "If Siegfried Kircheis were alive..." How Reinhard von Lohengramm, and the universe, would have been affected had Kircheis survived Ansbach's assassination attempt. AU from episode 26 of season 1.
1. Chapter 1

**"If Siegfried Kircheis were still alive..." How many characters have voiced this question in the anime? From his colleagues, Reuethal and Mittermeyer, to Hildegarde, Reinhard's wife to Yang Wen-li of the Alliance, one-time enemy...**

**But what if he had survived the assassination attempt on Reinhard? One little butterfly flapping its wings...yet the changes that it will cause...**

**Note: Anything that you may recognize comes from the anime. However, in this story, I decided to follow the original novels instead of the anime for one point. Reinhard consciously chose to accept Oberstein's advice of inaction, when news came to him of an impending nuclear attack on Westerland. He was, in effect, an accomplice in the deaths of the two million people on that planet.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

_September 26__th__, U.C. 797, I.C. 488_

_Geiersburg, Hospital Wing, Room 12_

The room was silent. On the bed, beneath white hospital sheets, motionless, lay Siegfried Kircheis, High Admiral of the Galactic Empire – not that one could tell from his curly blood-red locks, tanned skin and youthful features. Indeed, Kircheis looked just like the-guy-next-door, albeit a handsome one.

_So quiet, so silent, it was just like Kircheis…_Reinhard von Lohengramm, Fleet Admiral of the Galactic Empire, Marquis, thought bitterly as he stared at his friend's features, so peaceful in its repose. His friend had always been a calm, gentle advisor, there to smoothly steer Reinhard away from his more thoughtless impulses, whose presence often went unnoticed by everyone; everyone save Reinhard, who knew just how irreplaceable Kircheis was to him. Reinhard wanted to shake him awake, wanted that placid expression gone from his friend's face! He wanted Kircheis to wake up from his coma, even if it meant that they would start arguing again, even if Kircheis would eventually hate him for what he'd done, or in this case, not do, with regards to Westerland. He could live with that, could live with anything, as long as Kircheis was alive and by his side.

Reinhard had not left this room even once since the latter had fallen into a coma seventeen days ago, after he took a blaster wound in his side while wrestling with the would-be assassin. The second laser-beam from the assassin's ring had missed, thank Odin for that, but even with all the advances in medical technology, it was all the doctors could do to keep Kircheis alive – whether he would wake up from his coma, or slip away to Valhalla depended on his will, the doctors had said. But it would be over, one way or another, these few days.

Reinhard reached forth to clasp Kircheis' rather cold hand in his own fair, delicate one. "Wake up, Kircheis. Wake up, that's an order. Wake up, then we can go inform Sister of our victory…" Reinhard might have broken down into sobs at this moment. He recalled the pale features of his elder sister, Annerose, when he had received the intra-galactic transmission in this very room fourteen days ago, the deep sorrow she showed that had struck the very core of him. His sister had not said much, just that he was to inform her of any changes in Kircheis' condition, and that she would pray for them.

_I'll pray for you both_. That had been the exact words Annerose had used. For she knew how much Kircheis meant to Reinhard, how very much the red-haired man was part of Reinhard. And now…now…Reinhard's thoughts were interrupted when a knock came at the door. "Enter." His voice was frosty as he called out. Who would be so foolish as to interrupt his vigil by Kircheis' bed?!

Ah, of course, his advisor. Paul von Oberstein, the cold, pitiless man with the cybernetic eyes. Indeed, if one looked at it from a certain viewpoint, he was part of the reason why Kircheis was lying in a coma! But Reinhard restrained his anger, as he listened to Oberstein update him on what Reuenthal and Mittermeyer had done on Odin, then insisted that Reinhard take the intergalactic call from Reuenthal in the communication headquarters.

Reinhard was tempted to lash out and refuse, but he recalled Kircheis' last words to him. _"Please win the universe, Lord Reinhard." _Fine, he would do this for Kircheis. After all, he wouldn't want Kircheis to wake up to find that he had been shirking his responsibilities, would he? However, Reinhard was not leaving the room, and no one could change his mind.

* * *

_Odin, Fleet Admiral Lohengramm's Admiralty, Communications Room_

Thousands of light-years away, Oskar von Reuenthal cursed his luck. The admirals had drawn straws as to who would get the honour of reporting to their liege, and Reuenthal had been the lucky one. Or rather, the really unlucky one.

When the call was patched through, Reuenthal's mismatched eyes widened in surprise as he took in the setting. His liege lord, Reinhard von Lohengramm, was taking the call in… a hospital room? Marquis Lohengramm was sitting on a chair besides the hospital bed, some distance away from the camera. _So he has not left Siegfried Kircheis' side since that day then… _A quick glance at the hospital bed confirmed Reuenthal's suspicions. He was wise enough however, to say nothing.

"Oberstein has informed me of the situation." Marquis Lohengramm's voice, although as melodious as usual, had a flat quality to it. Reuenthal suspected that it hid impatience. Marquis Lohengramm wanted to be done with this conversation, and quickly.

"Yes, sir," Reuenthal's reply was short, accompanied by a respectful bow. Never let it be said that Oskar von Reuenthal did not know how to respond to the wishes of his liege.

"You'll be rewarded for your distinguished service."

Reuenthal quickly thanked Marquis Lohengramm for that, before moving on to the main point of his call. He informed Marquis Lohengramm that all of the Imperial Prime Minister's family had been apprehended, and asked for further orders.

When Reuenthal heard that the Prime Minister was to be forced to commit suicide, his only reply was, "As you wish." While some might have shirked from the ruthless act, Reuenthal understood the need to eliminate such an opponent cleanly.

When given the order to exile all women and children, and to kill all males over the age of ten, Reuenthal could say that he had been expecting it. It was standard practice after all, to eliminate all possibilities of revenge. He was pleased that even though Marquis Lohengramm was nine years younger than him, he was obviously not averse to getting his hands dirty; Reuenthal knew that a conqueror would not succeed without such resolve.

Reuenthal was rather surprised, however, that Marquis Lohengramm did not just order all males put to death. He asked a question to that effect, and the answer he received would stay with him for a long, long time.

"I was ten when I entered the academy. Until that age, one can't be considered responsible. So I won't take their lives. If when they've grown, they attack me, that's fine. It's to be expected that incompetent rulers are overthrown, you see." There was something chilling about the way Marquis Lohengramm said that, that made Reuenthal glad that he was still maintaining his bow and could not look the latter in the eyes.

The next words out of Marquis Lohengramm's mouth made Reuenthal's heart thump wildly in his chest. "The same goes for all of you. When you're prepared to overthrow me yourselves, come challenge me, I don't care."

Reuenthal's mouth were on autopilot as he made the only response that he could to that. "You jest." Before his brains could catch up however, he heard a small groan. Muffled as it was, his eyes widened as he detected a twitch from the hospital bed.

Marquis Lohengramm however, was seated right beside the patient, and evidently could hear just fine. His reaction was instantaneous. "Kircheis!" So many emotions, all packed into that one word, that Reuenthal felt like a voyeur just listening to his liege say it.

* * *

_Geiersburg, Hospital Wing, Room 12_

In the hospital room, Reinhard had evidently pushed out of his mind the fact that his subordinate was still at the other end of the intra-galactic call. His whole world had narrowed to the hospital bed in front of him, and his red-haired friend lying in that bed. That had not been his imagination had it? Kircheis was waking up, wasn't he?

Grabbing tightly onto his friend's hand, Reinhard squeezed tightly as he waited with bated breath for a sign, any sign of response. After an indeterminable moment that felt like decades to Reinhard, he felt Kircheis' hand twitch. "Kircheis! Can you hear me? Kircheis!"

Fluttering of eyelashes. Chest moving, faster than the slow breaths that Kircheis had been taking during his coma. Another twitch in his hand…and at last, at long last, those eyelids opened to reveal deep blue eyes that were so familiar to Reinhard, eyes that Reinhard thought he'd never see on this side of Valhalla's gates ever again.

"Kircheis!" Reinhard called out again, his voice full of disbelieving joy. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, so intense were the emotions that Reinhard felt, but he blinked them away. He would not cry, no, he wanted to gaze into Kircheis eyes and see that his friend was alright, and to do that, he needed his eyes to be working at full capacity.

Those deep blue eyes seemed dazed at first, but soon focused on him. "Lord Reinhard…" were the first words that Kircheis whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse and weak from the blaster wound to his side. And it was those words that were Reinhard's undoing.

It was as if a dam had been broken. All of a sudden, his emotions were all over the place and he did not have the ability to keep them in check any longer. "How could you?! How could you do that, Kircheis?! You promised you wouldn't die before me, you promised! I won't let you leave me, ever!"

Kircheis' eyes widened as he took in the crying golden-haired man in front of him, hurting and in so much pain. Awareness slammed into him like acceleration from a spaceship about to make a warp, and he remembered what had put him into the hospital bed. He had almost died? How could he? He could barely picture it; him dying, and leaving Reinhard all alone...

Despite all the issues that undoubtedly lay between them, there was only one way Kircheis could respond to his friend's emotional distress. "I'm sorry, Lord Reinhard. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." He put as much strength as he could to that statement even as he squeezed his friend's hand tightly.

At that, Reinhard seemed to regain control of his emotions. Brushing away the tears, he pressed a button that called for medical staff, before frowning slightly. There was something he was forgetting, he was certain of it…

_Oh yes, Reuenthal…_ Reinhard mentally frowned as he thought of how his subordinate had witnessed that private scene. He turned back to the communications system and sure enough, there Reuenthal was. It wasn't Reuenthal's fault, Reinhard knew, for it had been up to him to cut the communications – it was considered highly rude, outside of an urgent battle situation, if the subordinate were to cut off communications on his side, without saluting first.

Reinhard scowled slightly, angry at himself for losing control, but managed to address Reuental with an even voice. "I'll be heading back to Odin when Kircheis has recovered enough for interstellar travel. In the meantime, secure the capital, with force if needs be."

Somehow, Reuenthal managed to keep a straight face as he acknowledged the order. "As you wish."

* * *

_Odin, Fleet Admiral Lohengramm's Admiralty, Communications Room _

As the connection was cut, Reuenthal allowed himself to relax. So Siegfried Kircheis was going to live after all. That was good. It would mean that the golden-haired genius who had became his liege lord would not be...broken. Moments like this reminded Reuenthal how young his liege lord truly was. Twenty-one years old. By Odin, it had been almost a decade since he had been that young!

It was the third time that Reuenthal had witnessed his liege lord being that emotional. The first had been when High Admiral Ovlessor had insulted his elder sister, the second when Kircheis had lay severely wounded from the injury he'd received at the hand of the assassin, and the third...was today. _The deep bond between those two…if it were ever broken, by death or otherwise…_Reuenthal had witnessed many deaths and knew firsthand how that kind of wound would scar. Scar and never heal…his thoughts turned to his mother, then just as quickly skittered away. No, that was not something he wanted to think about now. In any case, he had things to do, people to talk to. _Mittermeyer would want to know that Siegfried Kircheis is awake from his coma._

* * *

_October 3__rd__, U.C. 797, I.C. 488_

_Geiersburg, Hospital Wing, Room 12_

A week later, Kircheis was sitting up, cushioned by many pillows, patiently trying to persuade Reinhard to leave for Odin. "You should head back to Odin, Lord Reinhard, to take charge of things. Please don't worry, I'm fine now." His recovery had been speedy, and almost miraculous, according to the doctors, but it would some time before he could travel back to Odin, as warping would be risky in his condition.

Kircheis had been touched when he found out from the chatty military doctor that Reinhard had refused to leave his side while he had been in a coma, despite having an Empire to run in the aftermath of the Lichtenlade incident. _Just like old times…_It reminded Kircheis of the time when he had been severely wounded at Iserlohn Fortress during the Fifth Battle of Iserlohn, due to the machinations of Marquise Benemunde. At that time, Reinhard had been glued to his side until he had recovered enough to leave the hospital wing.

Stubbornly, Reinhard shook his head. "I almost lost you, Kircheis. I'm not letting you out of my sight. And I brought you your blaster." He turned, indicating the blaster at the bedside table, but did not meet Kircheis' eyes. "You are to carry it with you at all times; that's an order."

Kircheis took the gesture for what it was; an apology that Reinhard could not voice, an apology for Reinhard's action of banning Kircheis from carrying his weapon into the audience hall, which had indirectly resulted in Kircheis' near-death. Reinhard had been that way since they were children; always too proud to say that he was sorry, even if he regretted his mistake. Kircheis had always understood and accepted that, and this time was no different. He shook his head slightly and smiled. "Yes, Lord Reinhard.".

When Reinhard eventually met his eyes, Kircheis said gently, "This was not your fault, Lord Reinhard. Please do not blame yourself for this." And Reinhard avoided his eyes again, perceptively hearing everything else that Kircheis was not saying. They had after all, been each other's only companions for ten years. Each knew how the other's mind worked, knew the other almost better than the other knew himself.

Reinhard got up and paced across the hospital room, his military boots resounding against the hard floor. In the week since Kircheis had awakened from his coma, Reinhard had deliberately kept the topics of conversation light, keeping away from the heavy, guilt-ridden topics like this. But Reinhard was not a coward, never has been one, and so, even if he knew that it would open a can of worms, he would face the subject they had been dancing around. He took a deep breath and turned to Kircheis.

"I took Oberstein's advice, Kircheis. Took his advice about the gun, and all it implied. Tried to think of you as only my loyal subject, tried to throw away years of friendship, all that only because I…" Reinhard found that he could not continue looking into those compassionate, deep-blue eyes of Kircheis.

Reinhard stared, unseeing, into the distance as he continued, "Because I did not want to face you. Because I did not want to be judged by you!" _Because I could not bear your disgust and anger at my actions! _ Silence filled the room, oppressive silence that was almost tangible.

Reinhard clenched his fists tightly as he let it all out, released the maelstrom of emotions that had been building and building for so long ever since he had watched two million people died on Westerland. The next part, the next part was the hardest to say. But Reinhard had never lied to Kircheis before. More than that, he had always told Kircheis everything; how he felt, how he thought, everything.

"I know that my inaction at Westerland cost lives. Two million innocent lives. I'm a murderer, and a monster many times over. If I had to decide all over again…" Reinhard shook his head, his golden curls cascading like waves around him._ I don't know what decision I'd have made..._

"No, it's useless to talk about such things, because there's no going back. I have to live with that. But…" Reinhard finally met Kircheis' eyes. "I'm sorry that you almost died because of me." _But you're still alive, Kircheis. You're still alive and that is all that matters._ He was sure that Kircheis could read it all in his eyes, the guilt, the anger, the worry and above all that, the relief.

Kircheis took in everything that Reinhard had said, silently. The only thing that Reinhard had apologized for, straight out, was for almost causing Kircheis' death. That was something that Kircheis had never blamed Reinhard for, for it was his choice. It had always been his choice to stand between Reinhard and anything that would hurt him. Not merely because of his promise to Annerose, but also because Reinhard was his best friend, his liege lord and the person he had promised to follow to the very end of the universe. _Half of the pair of golden-haired angels that I have sworn my loyalty to…_And with a start, Kircheis realized that even if Reinhard committed monstrous acts that he disagreed with, even if Reinhard became a second Rudolph the Great, even if Reinhard turned out to be a fallen angel, he would still step in the way of a blaster bolt meant for Reinhard. _No matter what, I'd still protect and serve Lord Reinhard. Even if it would cost me my soul. _

And that realization struck Kircheis to the core. He looked up helplessly at Reinhard and gave the only reply he could. "It was my choice to protect you, Lord Reinhard, and that will always be my choice. No matter what you do, no matter what you become, I will always follow you. Lord Reinhard..." And the joy and exultation that lit up Reinhard's angelic features at that made everything alright for Kircheis. At that moment, even if just for a little while, Kircheis was at peace with himself.

"But, please, you still have to return to Odin first, Lord Reinhard." Kircheis cleared his throat and stated emphatically. There was no way he would allow his own injuries to further delay Reinhard from returning to Odin, especially not when there had been a coup against Marquis Lichtenlade carried out by his subordinates. Kircheis still wasn't sure how he felt about framing and sentencing an innocent man and many of his family to death on trumped-up charges. _Marquis Lichtenlade was obstructing Lord Reinhard's way. The other Admirals saw that and took action to clear the obstruction – I can't say that their actions as loyal subordinates were wrong, but…_ _Perhaps that's why Lord Reinhard needs subordinates like Admiral Oberstein; people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty…_

Kircheis put away his self-introspection for the moment. In any case, Reinhard needed to return to Odin as soon as possible, in order to put an end to the chaos and bring about a new order.

Reinhard smiled in response to Kircheis' insistence. "You're always worrying about something, Kircheis. Very well, I'll leave for Odin tomorrow if you promise me something." The jibe was light-hearted and much needed for levity, after that extremely serious conversation.

"What is it, Lord Reinhard?" Kircheis asked, slightly apprehensively. The last time he had been lying on a hospital bed after a near-death experience…

"Promise me that you'll never die before I do." It came out as a command, but there was a hint of pleading desperation in Reinhard's icy-blue eyes touched Kircheis deeply. No matter what, some things never changed. There still remained echoes of that lonely boy hiding behind that façade of arrogance that Kircheis had befriended more than ten years ago. And Kircheis would do _anything_ for that boy. Including making a promise that he was not sure if he could keep, just to reassure his best friend.

"Yes, Lord Reinhard. I promise."

* * *

**My favourite character: Reinhard von Lohengramm. Will he have an easier time of it now that Kircheis survived his injuries?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: If it's not already apparent, this story is written from the viewpoint of Imperial characters, mostly Reinhard's and Kircheis'. With canon pairings, and Kircheis/Annerose, if their relationship works out.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_October 6__th__, U.C. 797, I.C. 488_

_Geiersburg, Hospital Wing, Room 12_

Alone in the hospital room, Kircheis lay on the hospital bed, pondering his future. Reinhard had left for Odin two days ago, just as Kircheis wished. He had to admit that part of the reason why he wanted Reinhard to leave was selfish; he wanted some time alone to consider his future path._ "No matter what you do, no matter what you become, I will always follow you." _That was what he had told Reinhard, but…

From the doctors, Kircheis had found out how close he had come to dying. Had Ansbach's blaster bolt hit him a few more inches to the left, he'd be dead. Dead, at the age of twenty-one years old. Even though he had long since accepted the fact that he might die in the line of duty since he entered the military, and it was not the first time, it was still…disquieting. If he had died…Kircheis' mind raced first to Annerose and Reinhard, then to his parents. If he had died, what would have happened to them?

But no, Kircheis was still alive. So what should he do next? After the disagreement that Kircheis had had with Reinhard over Westerland, Kircheis feared that there would be many more such disagreements in the future. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to simply walk away. Preserve all the happy memories of fighting together so far, then go into seclusion. Perhaps he should return to his parents' house. Leave Reinhard to his dream of conquering the universe alone. Kircheis was, after all, no longer essential; Reinhard now had the support of many capable, talented and loyal subordinates.

But that very thought speared Kircheis' heart like an icy blade. Kircheis admitted to himself; he could no more do that than to cut himself into half. Ever since the day that this golden-haired angel had shared his dream with Kircheis, Kircheis had sworn to follow Reinhard to the very end. To fulfill his dream. Every single battle they had both participated in. Every shared experience and memory between them. For good or for ill, they were bound together, two halves of the same coin. Past, present and…future too…

In his mind, Kircheis could picture every single detail of Reinhard's face. Golden curls, icy-blue eyes…the inevitable look of disappointment if Kircheis even hinted that he wanted to leave…Kircheis sighed ruefully. Choosing...that was an illusion. Ever since the day he had taken Reinhard's hand, he had had no other choice. And he wouldn't have it any other way. _Lord Reinhard…I will follow you, Lord Reinhard. Until I draw my last breath._

* * *

_December 11th, U.C. 797, I.C. 488_

_Odin, Schwarz Manor _

In November, the first thing Reinhard had done when Kircheis had returned to Odin had been to move the convalescent patient into the manor where Reinhard lived with Annerose von Grunewald, his elder sister – Schwarz Manor. He ignored the protests of impropriety from some of the straight-laced staff and insisted that since he and his sister were going to visit Kircheis every single day anyway, it was much more convenient for Kircheis to rest and recover in his house.

When Oberstein had finally commented upon it, Reinhard had glared at the man before replying icily, "I've lived with Kircheis under the same roof for almost every single day of my life since I was ten years old. Do you really think I'd stop now?" When Oberstein had tried to carry on about his pet theory on how no organization required a No. 2, Reinhard had then pointedly ignore him. Now holding the titles of Prime Minister, Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Galactic Empire Fleet, Fleet Admiral and Prince, Reinhard was the most powerful man in the Empire, even more so than the puppet Emperor, Erwin Josef II. And he would use some of that power to make things go his way, for once.

In any case, even if it made some of his subordinates unhappy, his elder sister was happy enough and that was that. In the aftermath of the Kircheis' almost fatal injury, she had been distant and depressed, but once she had seen with her own eyes that Kircheis was on the mend, she had regained some of her cheer. Even if Reinhard was completely oblivious and blind to affairs between men and women, he'd have been a fool not to see the obvious signs of attraction between his sister and Kircheis.

_Of course, it appears I have been a fool for many years, _Reinhard sighed mentally. It was obvious that this _thing_, whatever it was, between Kircheis and his sister, had not sprung up overnight. He had no idea how he felt about the _thing_ between his sister and Kircheis yet. On one hand, his elder sister was like the mother he never knew, the ray of warm, gentle sunshine in his life. On the other hand, Kircheis was his best friend, and the other only person whom he'd ever let into the circle in his heart that he labeled 'family'. Yet, the thought of the two together…

Reinhard shook his head. He'd deal with it if and when his sister and Kircheis ever decided to pursue a romantic relationship. Right now, he had other matters to deal with. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, followed by the entrance of one of the two he had been ruminating about.

"Kircheis," Reinhard commented with a smile when he saw Kircheis once more dressed in the uniform of a High Admiral. "Fit to resume duty at last?"

Kircheis returned the smile. "Yes, Lord Reinhard. It's the start of the new year, I do not want to laze around for too long."

"That's good. You've been doing less than your fair share of work the past few months. I think it's time to change that neh, Kircheis?" Reinhard's attempt at humour was razor-sharp as usual. "I'm going to make you both Imperial Vice Premier and Vice Supreme Commander of the Space Fleet. Oh, and you'd be promoted to Fleet Admiral too."

Kircheis' jaws dropped in surprise. The implications of that overwhelmed him. The amount of power that would confer on him was astonishing. But dangerous. Even though he certainly did not share the same views as Oberstein on the subject of having a No.2 in Reinhard's camp, Kircheis had never sought to be No.2 himself. His only ambition, if it could be called that, was to always be by Reinhard and Annerose's side. To that end, he wished to make himself useful to Reinhard, in any way he could, but not by gaining so much power that it'd make anyone with half a brain wary of him! "Lord Reinhard…please, you cannot do that!"

"Oh? I'm the Prime Minister of the Galactic Empire and the Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Space Fleet. I am the most powerful man in the Empire, save for a mere technicality, and you're telling me I can't make personnel appointments as I wish?" Reinhard's retort was cutting, as usual.

In the end, Kircheis managed to convince Reinhard to change his mind about most of the promotions, even if he still had to accept the rank of Fleet Admiral. When he had tried to argue further, Reinhard had fixed him with a pointed smile. "You saved my life Kircheis. Are you trying to say that my life is not worth at least one promotion? Besides, I expect you to do more than your fair share of work, you know." And Kircheis had to give in.

"Come on, enough of that, Sister is baking us an onion pie today!" Reinhard's eyes sparkled as he led Kircheis to the terrace porch where they frequently had tea with Annerose. It was just like old times.

* * *

_December 21st, U.C. 797, I.C. 488_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Officer's Lounge_

Kircheis did not come to the Officer's Lounge often, despite his enjoyment of the quiet ambiance. While not a stuck-up nor a firm believer in propriety, Kircheis sometimes still felt uncomfortable with the level of respect that older, lower-ranking military officers showed him. He supposed he would get used to it in time, but he could not help wondering if his promotion had been too fast, too soon. It had after all, been only a year since his double promotion to Rear Admiral, and he was now a Fleet Admiral already, of the same rank as Reinhard!

However, it was part of Kircheis' self-imposed duty to keep an eye on the mood and sentiments of Reinhard's subordinates. In addition, after that official announcement of his promotion earlier today, he really needed a drink. Two shadows fell on his table as Kircheis reached for his glass of red wine. Looking up, he blinked in surprise to see High Admirals Mittermeyer and Reuenthal.

Courteously, Kircheis invited the two to join him, an invitation that they accepted. Once they had all made themselves comfortable, Mittermeyer commented, "It's rare to see you here, Kircheis. Reuenthal and I come here to drink quite frequently, yet we rarely see you here." Kircheis smiled and nodded. Unlike Mittermeyer, Kircheis had no one to accompany him to the Officer's Lounge. He thought of Reinhard in the Lounge, then mentally shuddered. If Reinhard visited the Lounge, there was no doubt that everyone in the room would tense up and fall into formality. Which would defeat the purpose of the Lounge, which aimed to provide a conducive environment for relaxation.

Even Kircheis' presence had caused a stir, judging from the looks that were cast at his table at frequent intervals. Perhaps Reuenthal knew this, for he quickly changed the subject. "Since you're here now, allow us to congratulate you on your promotion, Kircheis."

Kircheis now felt distinctly uncomfortable at the thought of receiving congratulations on his promotion from Reuenthal, whom he felt, along with Mittermeyer, had done much more in their swift action to arrest Lichtenlade. The epaulettes that came with the position rested heavily on his shoulders, as did the blood red cape that denoted his rank. He covered it up with a smile and ruffled his hand through his own hair. "Thank you. Allow me to offer my belated congratulations on your own much-deserved promotions to High Admiral then."

Mittermeyer laughed at that. "What we did pales in comparison to your accomplishment, Kircheis. You saved His Excellency's life! And believe me, we're all grateful for that."

Perhaps it was Mittermeyer's open demeanor. Or perhaps it was the red wine. In any case, Kircheis found himself replying to that statement with a candor that amazed him. "I can't take credit for that… I would have done it regardless. That has been my job ever since we were children…"

Kircheis blinked as his own words penetrated his brain. Was that why he felt so uneasy about the promotion? Getting a reward for something that he had heretofore done without any expectation such? Glancing at Mittermeyer and Reuenthal, he found that the two were wearing identical expressions of surprise. _They're probably surprised at my wagging tongue… _Ruefully, Kircheis shook his head. "I seem to be unusually chatty today. Please, ignore what I've said."

Standing up, Kircheis made hurried goodbyes to the two High Admirals, before almost fleeing the Officers' Lounge.

Left only with each other's presence, Mittermeyer and Reuenthal exchanged thoughtful glances. At length, Mittermeyer spoke up. "The bond between His Excellency and Kircheis is even deeper than we suspected."

Reuenthal smiled wryly. "On both their parts. Siegfried Kircheis was the first to react in the Hall, to shield His Excellency from the assassin with his body. And His Excellency was so torn up over Kircheis' injury that he didn't leave his side until the latter woke. And now we find out that Kircheis has probably been willing to sacrifice himself for His Excellency ever since they were both children…"

"Even that Oberstein would have a hard time breaking such a bond," was Mittermeyer's only conclusion.

* * *

_January 1st, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister's Office_

The people gathered outside the building were cheering loudly in support of Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm's most recent reforms. From his vantage point standing to Reinhard's left, Kircheis glanced at his friend's composed features. _Lord Reinhard has never been interested in what others thought of him though…_Even if they were positive, Reinhard usually dismissed them by saying that he had no reason to be pleased by the praises of those who were not intelligent enough to understand his plans.

_Intelligence, huh? _Kircheis pondered on this as he glanced at the other people standing in the room. Hildegarde von Mariendorf, Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, was standing across the room at Reinhard's other side, while Karl Blakke and Eugen Richter, reformers who had given up their aristocrat status. All these people had intelligence in spades, which was why Reinhard was making use of their talents to put his reforms in place.

Technically, Kircheis himself had no place in this room, as he was part of the military and did not hold any position in the civil service. However, despite his promotion, Kircheis had been reinstated as Reinhard's adjutant, a position that he would not give up for the world. He supposed that it was the first time in galactic history that an Imperial Fleet Admiral was serving as an adjutant to the Supreme Commander-in-chief, but since both he and Reinhard were satisfied, posterity would just have to deal with it. And as an adjutant, he went wherever Reinhard went, even when the latter was dealing with political matters.

The weight of the blaster in Kircheis' back was comforting. Even though security had been considerably upgraded since Ansbach's assassination attempt, Kircheis was not taking any more chances. Any future assassins would have to go through Kircheis to get to Reinhard.

Reinhard himself was not paying attention to such matters. He was speaking at length on the policy changes he would be making. "To obtain the people's faith in the system, there must be two things; impartial judgement and similarly, impartial tax rates. Just that." Kircheis thought it was a succinct and apt summary, and could not help feeling admiration for his friend's brilliance. At times like this, he thought he could fully empathize with why the people and the soldiers, and even some of the other officials held such adulation for Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm.

Kircheis found himself agreeing with most of Reinhard's reforms. It contained everything that they had ever discussed, on those long nights when they had been junior military officers on leave from the frontlines. Admittedly, the reforms implemented were much more detailed and finely crafted than their vague talks had came up with, which Kircheis attributed to Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Fraulein Hildegarde von Mariendorf. _An extremely intelligent young lady…_ Kircheis was grateful that she had chosen to aid Reinhard in affairs of the state. With someone sharing his role of being sounding board to Reinhard, Kircheis would not need to interfere too much in civil matters.

Reinhard had given Kircheis a lot of power; power that could be dangerous if Kircheis was not careful in its use. He did not want others to see him as undue influence on Reinhard however, so he was very careful to give his opinions in everyday matters in public only if Reinhard asked him for it.

After the two reformers had left, Reinhard sat down and Fraulein Mariendorf began reporting on financial matters. Reinhard's response was as gregarious as always. "Financial credit is not a problem. Having appropriated the wealth of the nobles who participated in the Lippstadt Alliance, our finances are resolved in a single stroke. To think they were hoarding it just for it to be confiscated, I rather pity them, neh, Kircheis?"

Kircheis caught Reinhard's upward glance in wake of his caustic wit, and smiled in response. "Yes, Lord Reinhard." At first, Kircheis had called Reinhard by the formal title of 'Your Excellency' whenever there had been a third person around, but Reinhard had flatly insisted that an exception could be made in the presence of his secretary. Since her presence was a constant at all times, Reinhard had became rather tired of Kircheis' extreme formality and Kircheis had to relent in the end. Mentally, he shook his head as he recalled how many people had teased and taunted him when they had heard him refer to his friend as 'Lord Reinhard', for being too respectful and formal. Now, he had the opposite problem.

The next order of business that Reinhard dealt with was a petition from one Arthur von Streit. Kircheis remembered Streit as one of those who had been loyal to Prince Braunshweig. Reinhard had captured Streit during the Lippstadt Rebellion and offered a position to the man. Kircheis had heard though, that the man had turned down the position due to his loyalty to his master. Whatever could the man want?

It turned out that what Streit wanted was the return of some of his relatives' wealth, which had been confiscated in the aftermath of the rebellion. Kircheis was surprised when Reinhard readily agreed. He knew his friend had no love lost for the ex-aristocrats. Then…

"However, there's one condition. Become my subordinate and serve as a member of my Command Headquarters," Reinhard stated calmly. And Kircheis had to suppress a smile at that. _Lord Reinhard is still as hungry for talented men…_ Not everyone was magnanimous enough to utilize the talents of old enemies, but then, Reinhard had always been an exception in that regard. Then, the impact of Reinhard's statement fully sunk in. This old, distinguished gentlemen, this former enemy, would be under his direct command?!

Kircheis recalled that Reinhard had been muttering about getting him a couple of competent assistants for his work as adjutant for days. Reinhard felt that since Kircheis would have to lead space fleets sometimes, he would not be available for his duties as Reinhard's adjutant all the time and replacements at those times would be necessary. Reinhard had been thoroughly unsatisfied with the latest in the line of temporary fill-ins that had taken over that role when Kircheis was recovering from his injuries – Rear Admiral Feldewelt. And now here Reinhard was, hiring new staff. It did not take a genius to figure out Reinhard's intention. Kircheis shook his head mentally as he resolved to smooth any ruffled feathers gently.

* * *

_January 20__th__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Office_

Kircheis watched as Reinhard toyed with Admiral Oppenheimer, first giving him false hope that the position of Chief of Military Police would be returned to him, then practically setting him up for charges of bribery. Shaking his head as the man was hauled out of the room by Gunther Kissling, Commander of the Prime Minister's Guard, Kircheis chided Reinhard gently, "You're mean, Lord Reinhard."

Reinhard's lounged against his chair, but his smirk was cutting. "I can't abide incompetent _and_ corrupt morons. Of course, this means there's more work for you, Kircheis." His icy-blue eyes flashed in amusement as he regarded the red-haired man standing at his side.

"Yes, Lord Reinhard. I'll publicize this event immediately. In any case, who would you like to appoint as the new Chief of Military Police?" Kircheis immediately knew what Reinhard wanted. Their thought processes were often like mirror-images – after twelve years of living in close proximity with each other, they could even communicate silently, with the briefest glances and gestures.

"Well, let Kesler do it," Reinhard ordered. Kircheis raised his eyebrows at that order. "On top of his current job as Commander of the Capital Defense Force?" Kircheis had met the man a few times before, and had the impression that Ulrich Kesler was a capable and impartial man with a steely integrity; a suitable candidate for the position of the Chief of Military Police to be sure, but wasn't Reinhard afraid of overburdening the man?

In typical Reinhard fashion, the golden-haired man replied, "Yes. I don't care. If it's a man like Kesler, he'll probably carry out his duties well enough. Besides, we need some outside blood in the Military Police Headquarters."

"Yes, Lord Reinhard," Kircheis acknowledged the order and immediately left the room to put it into effect. He knew that his friend prized efficiency, and so he always made it a point to carry out Reinhard's orders immediately. Mentally, he made a note to remind the new assistants that he would be getting of that. He did not want Reinhard's explosive temper and cutting tongue to have the opportunity to manifest itself. He had seen it rip a person's self-esteem into shreds, and felt that it would be too unkind if he did not give fair warning to the others. _If there's no one between Lord Reinhard and his surroundings, there'll always be some kind of clash…_ This was not the first time that Kircheis had had this thought.

* * *

_January 22__nd__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall_

Kircheis observed silently from his position beside Reinhard's chair, on the opposite side from where Oberstein was standing, as Admiral Kempf apologized for his failure in a battle against the Free Planetary Alliance's 13th Fleet. Kircheis knew that Reinhard hated the very idea of losing to Yang Wen-li; the latter had thwarted Reinhard's complete victory more than once. News of Yang Wen-li''s new nickname had trickled into the Empire from their intelligence agencies in the Alliance. _"The Magician indeed; a fitting nickname for that trickster,"_ Reinhard had snorted when he heard the new name.

More than anyone else, Kircheis knew how much it cost Reinhard to sit there and rationally forgive Admiral Kempf for his failure. _Thank Odin that Lord Reinhard has managed to restrain his temper this time…_Kircheis thought as the meeting ended, although he supposed. The other admirals all filed out, but Kircheis remained in the room. At length, he left together with Reinhard and Oberstein. No doubt they had more business to discuss. Though he himself disliked Oberstein, Kircheis did not once blame Oberstein for his role in his almost death. Kircheis could understand Oberstein's logic, however, that did not mean that he had to like the man. As far as Kircheis was concerned, Oberstein was dangerously morally-deficient. Yet, he could not ask Reinhard not to utilize the man's talents just because he disliked the man.

As usual, Kircheis fell in half a pace behind Reinhard, to Reinhard's right side, the best position with which to defend his friend and liege lord. Just in case.

In the corridors however, the party of three was waylaid by one Admiral Schaft, Inspector General of the Science and Technology Division. Kircheis knew that this balding, heavily mustached man was the inventor of the directional zephyr particles that he had used to great effect at the Battle of Amlitzer Starzone, so he waited patiently for the man to present his ideas to Reinhard. More patiently in fact, than Reinhard himself, who, after making a sarcastic comeback to one of Schaft's remarks, was turning to leave.

Of course, that was until Schaft presented his idea of moving the Geiersburg Fortress to the Iserlohn Corridor. Affixing twelve warp drives to the space fortress, then dragging it light-years away to the Iserlohn Corridor, so that firepower wise, the Empire would be on par with the Alliance, who currently had Iserlohn Fortress in their possession. Kircheis could practically see Reinhard freeze mid-step. That, more than anything, showed how much Reinhard yearned to defeat Yang Wen-li…

Later on, when everyone had left, Kircheis asked Reinhard, "Lord Reinhard, are you planning to launch an attack on the Alliance?"

Reinhard tilted his face away from Kircheis, towards the window, even as he folded his arms across his chest. That told Kircheis all he needed to know. "But, Lord Reinhard, there is no strategic value in it if we were to launch an attack now."

"I know," Reinhard replied softly, still not meeting Kircheis' eyes. That's when Kircheis knew that Reinhard was set on this course of action. Kircheis shook his head slightly. If someone else could see this sight, they'd be amazed at how childish Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm, military genius and the most powerful man in the Empire, could act at times. Marshalling his thoughts, Kircheis attempted once more to persuade Reinhard otherwise.

"Lord Reinhard, I know that you wish to defeat the Alliance, as do I. But at this point in time, it is meaningless to initiate an offense. There's no basis for it, and we do not have the moral high ground this time. Please, I ask you to reconsider, Lord Reinhard." Kircheis' voice was pleading, towards the end.

Maybe it was the pleading tone that did it, for Reinhard unbent enough to meet Kircheis' eyes. "I'll consider it," he finally said.

And Kircheis decided to be satisfied with that. He did not want to push too hard, as he did with the Westerland issue, for Reinhard's reaction when pushed was to lash out. In that sense, the falling out that they had had over the Westerland issue was also partially Kircheis' fault. Or at least, that was how Kircheis felt.

* * *

**Poor Kircheis. Always thinking of the best way to help Reinhard...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Other than Reinhard and Kircheis, I've always liked Muller and Bittenfeld too. They're both extremely loyal to Reinhard in their own way, and have very interesting personalities.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_January 24__th__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Officer's Lounge_

When Reinhard made his final decision and announced that they would be launching an attack on Iserlohn, Kircheis had not commented. It was clear that nothing would change Reinhard's decision. What he did however, was to enquire about Reinhard's decisions to appoint Kempf as the Commander of the expedition, and Neidhardt Muller as the Vice-Commander. Kircheis had even offered to lead the attack himself, but Reinhard had declined, stating that he had consulted with Oberstein over personnel decisions.

Kircheis knew that at some level, Reinhard had refused to give him command over the expedition out of consideration for his feelings. _Lord Reinhard doesn't want me to feel conflicted. He knows that I'll follow orders if it comes down to it, but he does not want me to have to face such a dilemma, not when there are other choices…_That was the hidden kind, compassionate side of Reinhard that only Kircheis knew existed.

Sighing, Kircheis dragged his attention back to the present. He was currently drinking in the Officers' Lounge with Mittermeyer, Reuenthal, the newly appointed Vice-Commander of the Expedition, Muller, and Commander of the Black Lancers, Fritz Joseph Bittenfeld. Well, he was supposed to be drinking, but so far, he had barely sipped at his white wine.

Seated besides him, orange-haired Bittenfeld was loudly questioning Reinhard's personnel decisions. "It's not especially for me to say, but this is a big operation. Shouldn't we send Fleet Admiral Kircheis? Or failing that, the two High Admirals?"

It was widely known that Bittenfeld was loud, boarish, and not known for his political-savvy. _Or else he wouldn't have said that in front of me. Taken in the wrong way, he could've been suspected of questioning Lord Reinhard's judgment. And everyone knows that I'm Lord Reinhard's eyes and ears. _Of course, there was no way that Kircheis would go tattling to Reinhard over every single small detail, but it was his duty to keep an eye on the officers' feelings and report any disturbing trends to Reinhard.

And now Bittenfeld appeared to be awaiting a reply to his question. Unfortunately, Kircheis was not in a position to say anything but the politically correct answer, and he doubted that that was what Bittenfeld wanted to hear. In public, Kircheis could not be seen to be anything less than fully supportive of Reinhard's plans, or it'd undermine Reinhard's authority.

Luckily for Kircheis, Mittermeyer saved him by answering for him. "It's probably Chief of Staff Oberstein's inclination. He doesn't want Kircheis, Reuenthal or me to render distinguished services." Oberstein was, Kircheis knew, highly unpopular among all the other military officers.

Reuenthal smirked at that, "In Kircheis' case, if he makes another great contribution, it'd be personnel trouble. You're already Fleet Admiral, with the same military rank as Prince Lohengramm. In our case, he probably doesn't want either Mittermeyer or me to continue gaining influence."

Kircheis had nothing to say to that, so he continued sipping his wine. Mittermeyer however, had more to add. "Therefore, Kempf's in command, in accordance with his experience and loyalty. And Muller, as the youngest, you were most suitable for Vice Commander right?"

Despite his youth, Muller had naturally grey hair and grey-coloured eyes. He nodded once, even as Kircheis decided to say something. "I would not presume to know Prince Lohengramm's thoughts, but I think that Prince Lohengramm probably wants to give Kempf a chance to redeem himself, a chance at victory over Admiral Yang Wen-li's forces." The admirals nodded at that. Everyone knew, after all, that Kircheis was Prince Lohengramm's confidante, and that he was a fair, honest and kind man. There was a high probability that his words were true.

Muller, ever sensitive and diplomatic, then changed the subject. "By the way, in combination with these personnel affairs, I heard that His Excellency the Fleet Admiral is changing his assistant adjutant again."

"Oh?" Reuenthal questioned with interest. Turning to Kircheis, he remarked. "I'm surprised that you're still Prince Lohengramm's Chief Adjutant, even with your recent promotion."

Kircheis ran his hand through his hair sheepishly as he replied. "Well, it's probably for the best." Both Mittermeyer and Bittenfeld nodded solemnly, and tried their best not to look at Kircheis. It was no secret that Prince Lohengramm was very particular about his adjutants, and a difficult boss to satisfy. In the short time that Kircheis had been unfit for duty, the prince had already gone through three Interim Chief Adjutants. It was apparent to everyone that Prince Lohengramm considered only one person suitable for that job. "However, Prince Lohengramm is aware that I might have other duties sometimes, hence the Vice Chief Adjutant."

Reuenthal nodded, then turned back to ask Muller. "Prince Lohengramm substituted for Feldewelt?"

Muller replied with a slight hesitation. "Well, I wonder if one could call it 'substitution'. There's no change in the work, but generally it's in the form of a promotion."

Mittermeyer and Bittenfeld both nodded sagely. "His Excellency's kind feelings, eh?" Mittermeyer commented with a slight hint of irony in his voice, although he did not cross over to outright sarcasm. Kircheis supposed he could be thankful for that. He could not abide it if others spoke ill of Reinhard in his presence, although he knew Mittermeyer had no malicious intent.

"So, who's going to be the next one?" Bittenfeld asked curiously, glancing at Kircheis briefly before turning his attention back to Muller.

"They say he's going to appoint old Commodore Streit." Muller replied, even though he was aware that Fleet Admiral Kircheis was the best person to answer all these questions.

"What?" Identical looks of shock appeared on Mittermeyer and Bittenfeld's faces as they digested the news; that Prince Lohengramm was appointing one of Prince Branschweig's loyal subordinates to such a crucial position.

Reuethal let out a sigh of appreciation even as Mittermeyer shook his head in admiration. "He's a person who does bold things."

Kircheis firmly nodded in agreement at how true that statement was. He added softly, "Prince Lohengramm values Commodore Streit's experience and resourcefulness."

Bittenfeld frowned slightly at that. "I don't think Oberstein will keep his mouth shut."

"That's strange, because they say that he's meekly accepting it." Muller shot back.

Reuenthal's expression was sardonically amused as he commented, "Even Streit, who was Prince Brauchschweig's loyal subordinate knelt down to Prince Lohengramm? He's probably aiming for a political show."

Even though Kircheis privately agreed with the assessment, he thought it was best to tamp down on the antagonism that the high-ranking military officers had towards the Chief of Staff. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that, is there? Prince Lohengramm needs to consolidate his political power at this point in time."

All the admirals nodded in agreement with that, even as Muller hastily changed the subject. "Did you hear about our Chief of Staff? It was last year, but they say he picked up a dog in front of the Admiralty."

Bittenfeld almost choked on his glass of wine when he heard that. "A dog? Oberstein?!" Even Kircheis was surprised by the news.

"Yes. They say it's an old Dalmatian. But because this dog is impudent and won't eat anything but boiled chicken, the Chief of Staff personally goes out to buy meat in the middle of the night." Muller continued. Kircheis had to blink at that. He would never have expected that from the cold, pitiless man that was Chief of Staff Oberstein, but, he reminded himself, humans were multi-faceted beings.

Kircheis noted that Mittermeyer and Reuenthal exchanged one of those glances that contained an entire conversation (he knew because he and Reinhard had their own version of those glances). Then, as was his wont, Bittenfeld lashed out viciously. "Although our Chief of Staff is hated by people, he's loved by a dog? As fellow dogs, they probably hit it off!" Kircheis made a placating gesture to his fellow comrade, but a reluctant smile crept onto his face._ It seems that Admiral Bittenfeld's words can be as vicious as Lord Reinhard's sometimes._

* * *

_February 2__nd__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Corridor_

"Fleet Admiral Kircheis!" A cry from behind him stopped Kircheis in his tracks. Turning, he came face to face with a pretty young lady with dark blonde hair and large, misty green eyes.

"Fraulein Mariendorf." Kircheis greeted his friend's secretary with a gentle smile. Then, he waited for her to speak.

"Fleet Admiral Kircheis, I will be upfront with you. I am opposed to this dispatch, as it is both profitless and meaningless. Even if we have recovered financially from last year's civil war, the people are still not stabilized. What His Excellency should be doing now is to focus on internal politics." Pausing, Hildegarde von Mariendorf took a deep breath before continuing. Her voice rang with sincerity as she said, "I have mentioned as much to Prince Lohengramm. Yet he is still set on this course. So, Fleet Admiral Kircheis, I have come to you; what are your thoughts on this?"

Kircheis blinked as he took in Hildegarde's words. It always amazed Kircheis how her analysis often cut to the heart of the matter. "Fraulein Mariendorf," he begun carefully. "It is as you say, but…" He trailed off, not certain of how exactly he should phrase his own concerns. He had spoken to Reinhard, but when the latter had refused to heed his words, Kircheis had not pressed the matter. After the Westerland incident, he was now much more aware of the boundaries that lay between him and his best friend. No longer were they merely two young men sharing a common dream, working towards a common goal. Now they had other roles to play. Reinhard was Prince Lohengramm, Prime Minister and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Armed Forces, and he, he was Siegfried Kircheis, Chief Adjutant, Fleet Admiral and Prince Lohengramm's loyal subordinate.

"Fleet Admiral Kircheis," Hildegarde plowed on determinedly. "I know it is not my place to say this but please. You are the only one that His Excellency will listen to. The power to save the resources of the Empire, and many thousands of lives lies with you. It is your responsibility to do the utmost to persuade His Excellency to make the right decision."

And that struck Kircheis to the core. _She's right. No matter what role I play, whether it be the loyal subordinate or the best friend, it is my responsibility to do whatever I can to persuade Lord Reinhard to make the correct decision. _

"I understand. You are a very wise lady, Fraulein Mariendorf." Kircheis nodded once to her. "I give you my word that I will do my best to dissuade Lord Reinhard...I mean, Prince Lohengramm."

"That's all that I can ask, Fleet Admiral Kircheis." Hildegarde bowed slightly.

* * *

_Odin, Ministry of War, Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Office_

One look at his friend's face and Reinhard knew that Kircheis had come to talk to him about a difficult topic. And given the current circumstances, it took no great leap of logic to deduce that Kircheis was here to talk to him about the attack on Iserlohn.

Reinhard folded his arms across his chest and glared at his friend. "No."

Kircheis blinked at that abrupt statement from Reinhard. "No?" he echoed in semi-confusion, before he realized that Reinhard knew what he wanted to say. Amusement and exasperation warred for dominance across Kircheis features, before he settled for a sigh. "Lord Reinhard…"

Reinhard was determinedly looking out of the window and not at Kircheis. Used to his friend's evasion tactic, Kircheis continued walking until he was half a step away from his friend. "Please listen to what I have to say, Lord Reinhard."

Reinhard showed no obvious physical reaction, but Kircheis knew that his friend was listening. "Please, wait for a better opportunity of attack, Lord Reinhard. Remember the Sixth Battle of Iserlohn? After Lord Reinhard's actions led to an Imperial victory, there was talk of another campaign the next year, because the losses at that battle were considered low. At that time, we both derided the Empire that would toy with the lives of the commoners. Do you remember what you said, Lord Reinhard?"

Reinhard stiffened besides Kircheis. His own voice echoed in his head. "_Kircheis, I will not carry out useless battles like this. I will not let soldiers die meaninglessly. For us to get to our goal, we may not be able to avoid casualties, but I promise that I will not throw away people's lives for futile causes." _He had promised Kircheis that, three years ago. Yet here he was now, planning an expedition for no other reason than to launch an attack against Yang Wen-li and the Iserlohn Fortress.

Closing his eyes, Reinhard breathed deeply, then released his breath in a half-sigh. "Alright, Kircheis. I understand. I'll cancel the dispatch." He heard Kircheis breathe a sigh of relief at that. "But, Schaft will continue working to make Geiersburg mobile, and Kempf and Muller will oversee his work. At the first advantageous opportunity, I'll launch an attack at the Alliance."

Kircheis bowed his head. "Thank you, Lord Reinhard." And he was. He was grateful that even after everything, Reinhard was still willing to take his advice. His mind flashed to a conversation that he had with Annerose once upon a time.

_"Reinhard may not say it, but he relies on you. So please, I beg you, take care of my little brother, won't you?"_

_"You're very kind to such as me." _Kircheis had replied, surprised by the entreaty.

_"Sieg, you're of great value. In Reinhard, certainly, there is genius. A genius that nobody else has. But Sieg, my little brother is not an adult like you are. His eyes are always looking far away, so he can't see where he's headed. Surely…surely, Reinhard's path leads somewhere other than to war. Is there something in those steps of his? Where does that path lead? If he should lose his way…Sieg, if that happens, talk to him. You're the only one he'll listen to. If there comes a time when he won't listen to you… then that's the end of my little brother. With Reinhard's ruin…" _

What had his response been at that time? Kircheis could remember it as clear as day. _"Lady Annerose. Please leave it to me, Lady Annerose. Whatever I can do, even if it means sacrificing myself… Please, trust in my loyalty to Lord Reinhard."_

He had always done his best to keep his promise to Annerose, not merely because he did not wish to let her down, but also because Reinhard was his best friend and the man to whom he had given his loyalty. And now, so many years later, Kircheis was glad that whatever else had happened between Reinhard and him, their relationship had not changed.

"You were right, Kircheis, as always. From now on, I'll continue counting on you." Reinhard responded with a genuine smile, that rare smile of true happiness that only two persons in the entire universe, Annerose and Kircheis, had ever been the recipients of. It was a smile that Kircheis could not help but return.

* * *

_February 24__th__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Lounge Area _

"There's no novelty whatsoever in Schaft's plan," Reuenthal commented as he glanced at his friend, Mittermeyer, who was enjoying his coffee on the same semi-circular lounge sofa a few arm lengths away from him. "Isn't it just the old big ships-big gun doctrine?"

"But it might be effective against Iserlohn," Mittermeyer replied after putting down his teacup.

Reuenthal snorted at that, flicking at his own fringe with a finger. "Besides, I know it's an order, but Kempf is a really hard-working guy." And Reuenthal meant it. Even though Prince Lohengramm had cancelled the dispatch, Kempf was still working full time on getting the warp drives on the Geiersburg Fortress working as soon as possible.

"At any rate, I don't care about Schaft or Kempf," Mittermeyer said. "I'm only concerned about Prince Lohengramm. It's great that he has changed his mind about the politically and strategically useless dispatch. I suppose we must thank Kircheis for that."

Mittermeyer looked pensively at his coffee. "Do you remember? It was right here when we first saw Kircheis and Prince Lohengramm."

"Yes. It was after the victory in the Battle of Van-fleet Starzone. Four years ago…" Reuenthal replied. At that time, Reuenthal and Mittermeyer had debated if Reinhard von Lohengramm, who had still been going by his old name Reinhard von Musel at that time, was a cat or a baby tiger, concluding that Reinhard von Musel was the latter because the enemy had no reason to favour him just because he was the younger brother of the Emperor's favourite concubine.

"No doubt he was a tiger," Mittemeyer concluded after his reminisces.

"No", Reuenthal drawled. "He's a lion."

"Indeed. The lion is the king of all animals." Mittemeyer agreed with his friend.

"But I also did not realize Kircheis' influence is so great. It appears that he's the only one who can change Prince Lohengramm's mind." Reuenthal said with an amused air. "Oberstein might be frothing at the mouth now, what with his theory that there should not be a Number 2 in Prince Lohengramm's camp."

"Regards of what that Oberstein thinks, I think it's a good thing. Kircheis' influence on Prince Lohengramm, that is." Mittermeyer stated. Reuenthal agreed, although he was not as sanguine as his friend about the entire affair. _And why is that? Is it because I'm wary of anyone having that much power over Prince Lohengramm. Or is it because…_

* * *

_Phezzan, Landesherr's Office_

Adrian Rubinsky, fifth Landesherr of the autonomous planet of Phezzan, was scowling. He had just received word from his spies that Reinhard von Lohengramm had cancelled the dispatch for an Expedition to Iserlohn Corridor. Initially, Rubinsky had planned to make the Free Planetary Alliance crumble from inside, paving the way for an Imperial victory. To that end, he had sent his illegitimate son, Kesselring, to sow discord within the Alliance. Kesselring had informed the Alliance's commissioner in Phezzan that Phezzan's financial support can continue only if the Alliance is a stable democracy, and hinted that Yang Wen-li, Commander of the 13th Fleet, was inclined to seize power. Even now, the Alliance had formed an inquiry committee to question Yang Wen-li about his actions during the coup summon Yang Wen-li to a hearing on Heinessen. Meaning that Yang Wen-li would not be at Iserlohn. Meaning that the odds were in favour of a victory for the Imperial forces.

Naturally, Rubinsky would then turn such a situation to his advantage. Once Imperial forces had control of the human-occupied universe, he could then assassinate Reinhard von Lohengramm, and seize the reins of power for himself. But now, because of Reinhard von Lohengramm's change of heart, his plans would have to put on hold. This meant that he would have to be patient for a little while longer, while he set his back-up plan into motion. Ah yes, he would now have to plan the kidnapping of the most powerful seven-year-old child in the galaxy. Erwin Josef II, thirty-seventh Emperor of the Goldenbaum Dynasty. No matter. He would get what he wanted in the end, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

_Odin, Muller's Groundcar_

Travelling down the streets of Odin towards the Ministry of War, Muller was occupied with his thoughts. Which was why he acted on surprise and instinct upon seeing that shock of red hair in the midst of the crowded street. The red-haired man was dressed in everyday clothes, strolling casually down the street with what looked to be a box in his hand. Lowering the window of the groundcar, Muller called out, "Fleet Admiral Kircheis!"

At that shout, almost everyone within hearing range in the crowd turned to stare. A low buzz of murmurs started. It was then that it struck Muller that it might not have been such a good idea to yell out Kircheis' name in the middle of the streets. His eyes widened in dismay as he quickly decided to remedy the situation. Getting out of the groundcar quickly, Muller snapped off a crisp salute, despite the fact that Kircheis was not in uniform. "Fleet Admiral Kircheis, please allow me to offer you a lift to your destination."

The kind red-haired man was wearing a smile tinged with some resignation as he accepted the offer. "Thank you, Admiral Muller," Kircheis said as he entered the groundcar with Muller in his wake. As the groundcar sped off, Muller shook his head in embarrassment. "I apologize for my thoughtless action, Fleet Admiral Kircheis. Where can I drop you off?"

Muller eyed the box of cake in Fleet Admiral Kircheis' hands, recognizing the brand as one of the best and most delicious brands on Odin, wondering if the latter was on his way to a date. It was, technically, after office hours after all, despite the fact that working for Prince Lohengramm resulted in them working all sort of odd hours. However, Muller had never heard any rumours of Fleet Admiral Kircheis having a girlfriend, unlike High Admiral Reuenthal, who changed girlfriends almost weekly.

Kircheis smiled when he caught the direction of Muller's gaze. "It's not a problem, Admiral Muller. In any case, I suspect we're both going to the same place." That tore Muller's gaze from the box.

"You are heading back to the Ministry of War, Fleet Admiral Kircheis?" Muller did not stop his surprise from showing.

Kircheis said lightly, "I have to get this delicious cake to Prince Lohengramm before it goes stale." He ended with a smile that was meant to put Muller at ease. Muller barely kept himself from reacting. Alright, technically, he knew that Prince Lohengramm was only human, with his own likes and dislikes. However, he had never once pictured Prince Lohengramm, war genius of a man that he was, having a sweet tooth, a stereotypically feminine trait.

_Doesn't Prince Lohengramm have cooks who can make cake? Or others to run this kind of errand?_ The thought of Fleet Admiral Kircheis, highest-ranking man in the military save for Prince Lohengramm, whom he considered a comrade-in-arms, having to go out to buy cake…was just…

Some of those thoughts must have shown on Muller's face, as Kircheis was startled into a slight laughter when he caught the look of indignation on his fellow comrade. Then he explained earnestly, "It's not what you think, Admiral Muller. You could say it's something of a childhood ritual. Prince Lohengramm's favourites are, of course, cakes baked by Countess Grunewald. When that's difficult to get however, it's up to me to satisfy his cravings." He smiled gently at Muller, willing the latter to understand. Muller was an important vassal to Reinhard, and a fellow comrade; Kircheis did not want him to have any misunderstandings about Reinhard.

And Muller did. He felt ashamed at misinterpreting Fleet Admiral Kircheis' gesture. How easy it was to forget, dazzled by the brilliance and charisma of the golden-haired man, that this man had not had the best childhood and the most balanced upbringing. Muller thought back to what he knew of Prince Lohengramm's history. His mother had died since he was very young, his father had sold his elder sister to be the Emperor's concubine before drinking himself to death. Prince Lohengramm had then enrolled in the Junior Imperial Military Academy at the tender age of ten, was off to the frontlines by the age of fifteen…And now, at twenty-one, Prime Minister and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Armed Forces of the Galactic Empire. An age when almost anyone else would still be considered a child, barely coming into adulthood.

And Prince Lohengramm had achieved all that on his own, with only the help of this red-haired man before him. What right did Muller have to judge the careful consideration that Fleet Admiral Kircheis showed Prince Lohengramm? Muller could only begin to guess at the depths of the bond between the two. _Prince Lohengramm has the weight of the universe on his shoulders. It should not only be Fleet Admiral Kircheis' responsibility…As his loyal vassals, shouldn't we show more consideration to our liege lord?_

Muller shook his head mentally. He could just picture all his fellow officers scratching their heads in bemusement if he went to them with that suggestion. As subordinates, the best that they could do was to perform well in their assigned tasks, Muller concluded. _Luckily, Fleet Admiral Kircheis is there to pick up the slack. Who else would look after Prince Lohengramm's well-being?_ It was then that it really hit Muller – how irreplaceable Fleet Admiral Kircheis was, not only to Prince Lohengramm, but also those in his camp. For everyone was bound by one single glue – Prince Lohengramm. Without the prince, there would not be a Lohengramm camp. _If Prince Lohengramm is the liege lord that we serve and follow, then Fleet Admiral Kircheis would be the perfect loyal subordinate that we should strive to be. _

"I understand, Fleet Admiral Kircheis. And I apologize for my thoughtlessness." Muller finally said, chastened.

Kircheis shook his head at Muller's apology. "There's no need to apologize for such a matter, Admiral Muller…Speaking of apologies, it's me who owe you one for taking away your chance for battle this time." Kircheis deftly changed the subject with a semi-serious joke.

Muller blinked, then considered Fleet Admiral Kircheis' words carefully. Having once served under the Fleet Admiral, he knew that the Fleet Admiral was always carefully upholding Prince Lohengramm's image. If one looked at the issue from a harsh viewpoint, one could consider Prince Lohengramm to be fickle-minded in ordering, then cancelling the dispatch. Muller realized that under Fleet Admiral Kircheis' words was a hidden worry about discontent towards Prince Lohengramm. Hastily, Muller tried to set Fleet Admiral Kircheis' mind at ease. "I'm a military man, I go where I'm ordered. And I serve and obey Prince Lohengramm, Fleet Admiral." And Muller knew that the red-haired man would understand his unstated reassurance.

* * *

**Reinhard has a sweet tooth. It's canon, and very apparent in the Gaiden series. Considering that only males fight on the frontlines in the Imperial Armed Forces, I'm guessing that the military officers have set stereotypes about masculine and feminine traits. And of course, having a sweet tooth would fall into the latter. However, now that Reinhard is the most powerful man in the military, there's no need to hide it any more...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Unfortunately, I've never been interested in the technical aspect of science fiction. So the description of such objects, i.e., fortresses, battleships etc., will be extremely brief, if at all existent. And there might be some mistakes.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_March 1__st__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister's Office_

"Explain to me, Oberstein," Reinhard hissed dangerously, icy fire crackling in his narrowed eyes. "Explain to me what these rumours are; what subjects could they have touched on, that caused my elder sister to decide that moving out of Schwarz Manor was a good idea?!"

Across his desk, Reinhard glared at Chief of Staff Paul von Oberstein, whose cool, collected features betrayed no hint of his emotions, if indeed he was feeling any, at being yelled at by his superior. His secretary, Hildegarde's eyes had widened into round orbs as her eyes flickered rapidly between him and Oberstein. Behind him, he heard Kircheis give a start at his words.

"What? Lord Reinhard, Lady Annerose wishes to move out?" Kircheis' voice held an unusual level of agitation, which was even more apparent since he had slipped up and called Reinhard 'Lord Reinhard' instead of 'Your Excellency'. Reinhard turned to his friend. He had summoned Oberstein immediately after he had spoken with his sister and had not had the time to update his friend on the situation yet.

"This morning, before I left for work, Sister told me that she wishes to move out of the Manor to some out-of-the-way cottage because firstly, she did not wish to interfere with my work, and secondly, to quell the rumours that were apparently flying around." Reinhard spoke rapidly while gesticulating wildly; a sign that his emotions were getting the better of him. "She did not elaborate as to the rumours, despite my questions, so here I am, asking my Chief of Staff, who is supposed to keep an eye on such matters."

Kircheis' eyes widened at that. The rumours…he had heard of them, but had been steadfastly ignoring them, knowing that to pay attention to them would be to give the rumours fuel. Never in his wildest dreams would he expect Annerose to hear those rumours however…_Of course, it shouldn't be a surprise. We've underestimated her...Lady Annerose has survived ten years at Court. She's bound to have information sources…_He cast an apprehensive glance at Reinhard. If his friend hear those rumours...

Meanwhile, Oberstein was informing Reinhard on the contents of the rumours. "Your Excellency, there are rumours going around, what with the three of you sharing the same home, that Countess Grunewald is...involved with Fleet Admiral Kircheis. There is suspicion that part of the reason why Fleet Admiral Kircheis has received his current rank today is because he is favoured by Your Excellency's elder sister."

"What?!" Predictably, Reinhard exploded upon hearing those accusations. Slamming his fist onto the heavy oak table, he bellowed, "Who dares to insult my sister?! Who are behind these rumours?! I'll rip out the tongues of every last one of them!"

Still unfazed in the face of his superior's rage, Oberstein replied calmly. "The rumours are rather widespread. It is impossible to determine the sources. However, if Countess Grunewald moves out, that would surely lay the rumours to rest."

"Again?! You're asking me to separate from my sister again?! Just because of some unfounded rumours?!" Reinhard's rage and pain was a tangible thing. Immediately, Kircheis reacted, helpless not to do so in the face of his friend's distress. Throwing all propriety out of the window, he laid a hand on Reinhard's shoulder. "Lord Reinhard, please. Please calm down. We could discuss this further with Lady Annerose, and find a solution. Lord Reinhard…"

Kircheis' voice, soft, sincere and pleading, penetrated the haze of rage that Reinhard felt as nothing else could. Exhaling, Reinhard nodded once, sharply. "You're right, Kircheis. We won't lose my sister again. Together, we'll find a way." Glaring at everyone in the room, his eyes seemed to dared them to defy his words. Of course, no one did.

"Oberstein. Do something about the rumours." Reinhard spat out. With that, he stalked out of the room, with Kircheis following in his wake, at his usual position half a step behind Reinhard.

Standing motionless and unnoticed, Hilda shook her head mentally. Every day she spent with the young conqueror, she learnt more about him. Finally, she understood exactly how important Annerose von Grunewald was to her younger brother.

Reinhard von Lohengramm had lost his sister once, to the Emperor, to the Goldenbaum Dynasty when he was ten years old. And he had reacted in a way that no other ten-year-old would; he made it his life's goal to overthrow the Emperor and the Goldenbaum Dynasty. _And the amazing thing is, he has almost succeeded. Friedrich IV is dead, the Goldenbaum Dynasty is dying and Reinhard von Lohengramm is now the most powerful person in the Galactic Empire, poised to set up his own Dynasty. _There was no doubt in Hilda's mind that that was what Prince Lohengramm was planning to do. _And when he eventually succeeds in overthrowing the Goldenbaum Empire, a great act that will go down forever in the history of mankind, how many will know that he had started down this path as a young boy seeking to free his elder sister from the oppression of a lecherous Emperor? _

Hilda exhaled. She hoped that Prince Lohengramm would succeed in changing his sister's mind, although from the sound of it, that was extremely unlikely. Hilda had never met Annerose von Grunewald before, but she thought that a woman who could sacrifice herself for her brother's future, as Countess Grunewald had undoubtedly done by willingly becoming the concubine of Kaiser Friedrich IV, would not hesitate in leaving her brother if she thought it best for him. And from the sound of it, that was how Annerose von Grunewald felt.

* * *

_Odin, Schwarz Manor_

It was a beautiful day. An azure blue sky, fluffy white clouds, yet seated on garden chairs above the terrace overlooking a lake with crystal clear water, Reinhard was in no mood to appreciate his surroundings. "Sister, you don't have to leave," Reinhard pleaded, his voice choked with emotions. His icy-blue eyes, usually sharp and piercing, were full of anxious desperation. "I'll stamp out the rumours, I promise they'll never dirty your ears again."

Annerose von Grunewald had a melancholy smile on her beautiful face even as she shook her head slightly, that movement causing her luxurious golden curls to cascade over her shoulders like a waterfall. Seated beside Reinhard, Kircheis was making his own entreaty, in a calmer but no less heartfelt tone. "Lady Annerose, if the rumours are a problem, it'll be solved as long as I move out of the Manor. Please, do not allow it to inconvenience you in any way."

Annerose saw a startled look flash across her younger brother's face. Dear Reinhard, how expressive his face was. Even now, when he held so many important positions, Annerose could still see the little boy in him, the golden-haired angel that she had taken care of as best as she could, after their mother had died. The little boy that was the most important person to her in the whole universe...

Her younger brother exclaimed in protest, "Kircheis, you - !" But then, abruptly, he cut himself off. The sight of conflicting emotions on his delicate, porcelain face almost tore Annerose's heart into two. She understood that her brother had to be torn between choosing whether he wanted his elder sister or his best friend to stay with him, and that was a choice that Annerose would never make her brother decide between.

Besides, Annerose's time with her brother had long passed. When she had been very young, her wings had long been ripped from her, at the whims of an old Emperor. She no longer had any dreams, unlike her beloved brother. All she could do now was to allow her younger brother to soar to the very ends of the universe on his always flapping wings. Although she had enjoyed these past few months when Siegfried, Reinhard and her had been once again living under the same roof, it was time to let go. What she had with her two boys was in the past. And what they had were bright futures that she should not stand in the way of.

Annerose might not be as discerning in the matter of politics as her younger brother, but she _knew _Reinhard, and she knew the burning hunger called ambition that thirsted within him. There was a time when she had tried to restrain it with words of caution, in fear of what it would do to her beloved younger brother, but Reinhard, with his strong golden wings, had soon soared beyond her reach. He had others now, capable advisors and subordinates, with whom to share his dream. And he had Siegfried. It was time for her to take a step back and allow her boys to fly freely.

"Reinhard, Sieg…" Annerose said softly. "The rumours have never been the main reason and you both know that, deep down." Her boys stilled, waiting in anguished silence for her words, her words that would shatter all their illusions. "I shouldn't be near you. Our ways of lives are too different. For me, there is only the past. But for you two, there is the future. What I want for you, both of you, is for you to soar freely to the ends of the universe. I have lost that ability long ago…I will be retiring to a small cottage in the mountains."

Annerose paused as she caught the emotions that rippled across her brother's face. Disbelief, sorrow, anguish…a cacophony of strong emotions that caused her resolve to soften. Since a tender age, she had always been her brother's protector. To see him suffering so much now…Relenting, Annerose murmured, "Reinhard, when you are weary, please come to see me. But you must not be weary yet."

Annerose watched as a muffled pain filled Reinhard's eyes. "I understand. If that's what you want, Sister, I shall do as you ask."

Annerose then allowed her eyes to fall on Siegfried. No longer the young red-haired neighbor boy, he was now a mature and kind young man, capable and all grown-up. A friend that Annerose knew she could count on, but not merely a friend either…Annerose knew that there was something growing between her and Siegfried, something that she felt could never be. Her life had been over since she stepped into Court as the Emperor's concubine, but Siegfried had a whole future ahead of him.

Offering him a sad smile, Annerose said,"Sieg, please take care of Reinhard for me." She knew he understood what she did not put into words, could see it in his pain-filled eyes, but as always, he merely nodded and agreed. "I promise, Lady Annerose. I will watch out for Lord Reinhard with everything I have." And that was that.

* * *

_Odin, Groundcar enroute to Prime Minister's Official Residence_

Still brooding over his sister's decision to leave the mansion, Reinhard was sulking. It pained Kircheis to see his friend like this, so he put aside his own sorrow and tried to comfort his friend. "Lord Reinhard, Lady Annerose is not going away forever. We can always visit her whenever you feel like it, Lord Reinhard."

Kircheis watched as Reinhard let out a sigh, before turning to him with eyes that craved reassurance. "Sister won't refuse to see us, will she? When we visit? I have never done anything against her wishes before. If she doesn't wish to see me..." Kircheis understood Reinhard's worries, for Annerose's words had implied that she did not wish to see them for any length of time. But more than anything, Kircheis believed in the strong love that Annerose had for her younger brother.

"Lady Annerose will never turn you away, Lord Reinhard," Kircheis replied confidently. And Reinhard relaxed at those words. In an instant, the panicked child worrying about the love of his mother figure disappeared.

"Are you in love with my sister, Kircheis?" Out of the blue, that question left Reinhard's lips. Kircheis almost choked when his brain finally comprehended the question. _How much does Lord Reinhard know? How should I answer? _For the first time in his life, Kircheis was panicking over how to answer Reinhard's question.

"Lord Reinhard…" Kircheis replied helplessly.

Reinhard regarded Kircheis steadily, taking in the widened, emotional eyes, and his compressed lips, and the lack of an answer. Knowing Kircheis as well as he did, Reinhard already had his answer. Exhaling, Reinhard looked away and allowed a sigh to leave his lips. "I understand. I won't ask again." Reinhard knew himself. He was not unaware of his own immaturity in such aspects and he knew that whatever was between his sister and his best friend, it would be better if he stayed out of it, until it resolved itself one way or another.

Kircheis made a strangled sound halfway between a denial and an agreement. Things had not been this awkward between them, not since the Westerland confrontation. But Kircheis had never spoken of his feelings to anyone, and Reinhard…Back when they had been eighteen years old, Kircheis and Reinhard had had a conversation on romantic love, during which Kircheis had almost dropped his wine glass because Reinhard had made it known that if he were to seek a relationship, he would first select his counterpart before pursuing love. That cool, logical approach to a relationship, so typically Reinhard, had left Kircheis flabbergasted and even more certain than ever that Reinhard knew nothing whatsoever about romantic relationships.

_This must be very difficult for Lord Reinhard…_Kircheis realized. Glancing at his friend, Kircheis resolved that whatever was between him and Annerose, it would not affect his friendship with Reinhard in any way. For this was a friendship, forged through many years of fighting, playing and living together, that Kircheis treasured and would not jeopardize for anything in the universe.

* * *

_March 13__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Communications Hall_

Standing at his usual position besides Reinhard's chair, Kircheis waited with bated breath for the much anticipated warping out of Geiersburg Fortress. And it wasn't only him. Almost all the High Admirals and Admirals under Reinhard's command had gathered in this communications hall, facing the screen that gave a live visual of the space that Geiersburg was supposed to be warping out soon. If it was a success.

Kircheis knew that Kempf, Muller and the scientist, Schaft, were all on board the Geiersburg Fortress. If something went wrong with the warping, many lives would be lost. Reinhard held a nonchalant attitude towards these subordinates' possible deaths, because they had yet to earn his trust. To him, if Kempf and Muller failed at something this minor, that meant they were talentless and useless to him anyway. Kircheis knew that Reinhard disliked above all else, talentless and incompetent subordinates. Kircheis himself however, saw the possible deaths of many human beings in the case of failure, and found himself hoping for success.

Then, the countdown began. "In ten seconds…nine…eight…three…two…one…" Loud gasps filled the room as a huge metallic planet-sized globe materialized on the screen. Kircheis breathed out a sigh of relief as it was reported that the fortress and the surrounding area showed no abnormalies. Casting a glance at his friend, he found that Reinhard sported a satisfied and rather bloodthirsty smile.

* * *

_March 14__th__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Schwarz Manor_

Reinhard had thrown himself into work today with a vengeance that Kircheis understood. It was Reinhard's birthday today, yet Annerose was not with them. She had sent a cake, along with her well wishes, but it was just not the same thing.

Now, night had fallen and Reinhard had finally deigned to return to the mansion which they had made their home. He was currently standing at the balcony, looking up at the stars. Kircheis knew that Reinhard had always loved the twinkling stars in the night sky. Intertwined with those stars was Reinhard's dream; he wanted to grasp those stars in his hand…he wanted to possess them...he wanted to conquer the universe.

And Kircheis was there, always, to support Reinhard. As his friend ran towards the future, looking up at the sky, he would be there to warily study the ground beneath Reinhard's feet, to clear the obstacles in his friend's way.

But tonight was not a night for ambitions. Kircheis stepped out to the balcony and joined Reinhard in his star-gazing. For a while, they stood in companionable silence, then Kircheis turned to Reinhard. "Happy birthday, Lord Reinhard."

Reinhard met Kircheis' gaze with a slight smile on his face. "You always remember, Kircheis." And Kircheis did. No matter if they were fighting on the frontlines or back home at Odin, Kircheis had never once forgotten Reinhard's birthday. How could he? If Reinhard had never been born…if this golden-haired angel had never appeared in Kircheis' life…his life would be devoid of the colourful vibrancy that it was filled with now. So Kircheis firmly felt and believed.

But Kircheis did not say any of that aloud. "I have a gift for you, Lord Reinhard," Kircheis said with a smile instead, holding the gift in his palms slightly awkwardly. It was a locket of solid gold, oval in shape, attached to a fine gold chain. Commissioning it had cost Kircheis almost half a year's paycheck, but it wasn't as if Kircheis did not have the money. He had saved up most of his salary since he first started his military career as a Junior Ensign. Other than sending the bulk of it to his parents, he spent the rest only on daily necessities and for presents for Reinhard, on such occasions. Feeling almost shy, Kircheis looked at the locket instead of at Reinhard.

Reinhard took the locket and examined it carefully. Spotting the protruding button at the top, he pressed it, only to find it opening to a picture of Annerose, Kircheis and him taken in their childhood, when they were all young and innocent. His sister had a carefree smile on her face and each of her hand lay warmly on each of their shoulder. It was a photograph that Reinhard had treasured for years. A portrait of their family as it should be, to carry with him always, that was what Kircheis had given him. A family that Reinhard would have again, when he had finally conquered the universe - so Reinhard believed. As always, Kircheis knew how to cheer him up.

"Thank you, Kircheis." Reinhard pulled the chain over his neck, then smiled at his best friend, tugging on strands of Kircheis' crimson hair lightly. And Kircheis accepted the thanks and the mischevious gesture with his own joyous smile.

* * *

_April 5th,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall_

"Schaft!" Reinhard's voice was calm as he called out the name of the Inspector General of the Science and Technology department. Standing on the dais besides Reinhard's seat, Kircheis watched with disgust as the pudgy, balding man stepped forth and started rambling on and on about his battle plan to defeat the Alliance forces. He had nothing against the man's plans but…

"Who asked you about battle plans?" Reinhard snapped out, his voice clearly full of irritation. "Chief of Military Police, come forward and show this man his guilt."

"Yes, sir." Kesler stepped forward with military precision. "Admiral Schaft, you're under arrest. You're charged with corruption, embezzling public funds, tax evasion, breach of trust and betraying military secrets. Take him away!" Kesler addressed the last to the military police officers standing at attention at the back of the hall.

"Trash!" Reinhard spat out in disgust, and Kircheis agreed. Schaft had been on Phezzan's payroll, and had revealed everything about Geiersburg's capabilities and possible battle plans to them. Kircheis shuddered to think of what could have happened had the dispatch gone through. Would Phezzan, capitalistic merchants that they were, have sold the secrets to the Alliance? If so, what with Yang Wen-li's prowess as a tactician, Imperial forces might have suffered a crushing defeat.

Kircheis turned his attention back to the proceedings. He watched as Kesler bowed to Reinhard, and was about to step back in place. Yet Reinhard was not done. "Kesler, increase the surveillance of the Phezzan Ambassador's Office. I don't care if they notice. That might even serve to restrain them."

"Yes, sir." Kesler accepted his orders with a crisp salute.

* * *

_April 29th U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister's Office_

Thunder rumbled in the distance as Reinhard stared out of the window. In the gloom caused by the poor weather, Kircheis accompanied Reinhard as his friend took a short break from work. However, a sudden knock cut that short. Kircheis turned his attention to the doorway as Reinhard's secretary, Hildegarde, stepped into the room. She had close cropped dark blonde hair and misty green eyes, which contributed to her androgynous beauty. It did not help that she liked to dress in suits either. Despite its close cut emphasizing her curves, in the Empire, women, especially those born into nobility, just did not dress in suits (In the Goldenbaum Dynasty, aristocratic ladies dressed in ballroom gowns with lots of lace, ribbons and ruffles). In that sense, she was unique.

Kircheis knew that his friend had been spending more time with his secretary lately. In fact, just last week, both of them had dinner together while Kircheis was busy with his duties. He knew that his friend appreciated her intellect and wit. Reinhard had confided to him after that, that he had revealed his thoughts on how power should be usurped to her. Privately, Kircheis thought it was a good thing that Reinhard had found someone else that was almost on the same frequency as he was. He knew that his friend often despaired of people (other than Kircheis) ever understanding him.

Kircheis also knew however, that this was not a social visit. Hildegarde would never do that during work hours. Sure enough after the initial greetings, Hildegarde said, "I'm delivering a request from the Chief of Military Police, Admiral Kesler, for a personal meeting. He says it's urgent." Kircheis felt a pang of foreboding at that. Kesler was usually a composed officer. For him to request a meeting this urgently meant bad news indeed.

Sure enough, Kesler reported that two of the remnants of the Lippstadt Alliance had infiltrated the capital. Revealing that the information came from an anonymous informant, Kesler proceeded to show the faces of the two infiltrators on the screen in the office. Count Alfred von Landsberg, a noble who had defected to Phezzan after the defeat of the Lippstadt Alliance, and Captain Leopold Schumacher, one of the staff officers of the Lippstadt Alliance, had decided to return to the capital for reasons unknown. They were in possession of genuine papers issued by the Phezzan government. Put simply, their real identities would never have been revealed were it not for the anonymous informant, which Kesler had found suspicious. Inferring that it was some plot in the making, Kesler had immediately reported the matter to Reinhard in deference to his political judgment.

After Reinhard had processed the information, he ordered Kesler to continue his surveillance on the infiltrators discreetly. Once Kesler had left the room, Reinhard turned to face the glass window and the growing thunderstorm outside.

"I suppose you know that an Imperial historian once likened Rudolf the Great's angry bellows to thunder." Reinhard commented pensively. Kircheis, used to Reinhard's sudden topic changes, remained silent, but Hildegarded was apparently uncomfortable doing so. "Yes, I know," she replied politely.

"A very skillful simile," Reinhard continued. "Consider thunder…Essentially, it's a waste of energy. It has tremendous heat, light and sound, but it just rages madly, so it doesn't accomplish anything. Exactly suitable for Rudolph." Again, Kircheis was used to Reinhard's disparaging remarks about Rudolph the Great, the first Emperor of the Goldenbaum Empire, so he merely smiled and kept quiet. He noted however, that Hildegarde had no such immunity, as her gaping mouth belied that fact. The young secretary seemed to be at a loss for words, something that, Kircheis reflected wryly, often seemed to occur in people when they were around Reinhard.

"But I'm different. I won't be that way," Reinhard finished with an emphatic statement, turning to look Kircheis in the eyes as he did so.

"Yes, Lord Reinhard." Kircheis allowed his belief in Reinhard's statement to paint his words, knowing that Reinhard would hear it in those two words. Nodding, Reinahard turned back to Hildegarde. "Fraulein Mariendorf, what do you think? I'd like to hear your opinion."

Kircheis listened as Hildegarde laid out her reasoning, then concluded that Count Landsberg was probably plotting terrorism. Kircheis tensed at that conjecture, clenching his fists. _Was their target Lord Reinhard? If so, I won't let them succeed. They'd have to go through me first…_ His fears were soon put to rest however, as when Reinhard asked if they meant to assassinate him, Hildegarde rejected that theory. She felt that Count Landsberg and company were under Phezzan's thumb and that it would not be in Phezzan's best interest for Reinhard to die right now. Even so, Kircheis made a mental note to ask Captain Kissling, Commander of the Prime Minister's Guard, to double the security for Reinhard. Then when Hildegarde pointed out abduction as the most possible course of action, Kircheis knew that she had hit it on the nail.

What worried Kircheis however, were the possible candidates for abduction. He tensed up once again when Reinhard floated the possibility of himself, then asked, "Who could the other two be?"

"One is Your Excellency's sister, the Countess Grunewald," Hildegarde replied. It was as if an explosion had gone off in Kircheis' ears. For a few moments, he could hardly hear anything as the world seem to go by in a muted roar. _Get a grip on yourself, Siegfried. Lady Annerose is not in danger – yet. _

"…that puts my sister in danger," Reinhard was saying in a low dangerous tone, "I'll make that damn bungling poet pay for it! I'll make him feel as much pain as a human can! I'll kill him more cruelly than anybody has thought of until now!" By now, Reinhard was gesticulating wildly with rage. Where the safety of Annerose was concerned, Kircheis knew exactly how Reinhard felt, but he also knew that he had to calm down his friend. Hildegarde's eyes were already wide with shock, fear and helplessness, and he knew that she did not know how to deal with Reinhard in his current state.

Taking a step forward, Kircheis laid one hand on Reinhard's shoulder. "Lord Reinhard…" At his touch, Reinhard turned his head to meet his gaze, and Kircheis made sure that he put all the comfort and reassurance he could into that gaze. _We won't let anyone hurt Lady Annerose, Lord Reinhard. Please, have_ faith. Reading Kircheis' words in that loaded gaze, Reinhard relaxed slightly.

A few paces away from them, Hildegarde was already apologizing for her thoughtless conjecture. She reasoned that abducting women would not fit in with Count Landsberg ideals of romanticism, and concluded that the most likely person to be kidnapped would be the third and final candidate – Erwin Josef II, 37th Kaiser of the Goldenbaum Dynasty. "It's the act of a loyal retainer, who rescues his infant master from the hands of the enemy," Hildegarde concluded about Count Landsberg's motives. Kircheis mentally nodded as he heard her reasoning. There was a sound logic to it. At times like this, it was apparent to everyone why Reinhard placed such value on Hildegarde's advice and had elevated her to the position of his secretary, despite her gender and youth.

Kircheis watched as Reinhard quickly discerned that the entire plot had probably been revealed to them by a Phezzani agent and made a comment about how the 'Black Fox of Phezzan' was pulling the strings from the shadows. Kircheis' brows creased in a frown as he took in the implications of that. _Yet another enemy, this time one hidden in the shadows…I wonder if they'll try to manipulate even Lord Reinhard? _He felt a sudden chill creep down his spine.

Despite being a military officer, Kircheis was very well in touch with the politics of the universe. His mind whispered uneasily to him that if such a kidnapping were to be pulled off, there was one person who benefit most from it…How better to get rid of the young Emperor? If the Emperor were to die, whether it be from an assassination or accident, suspicion would fall immediately on Reinhard, even if he had no hand in it. Being suspected of murdering a seven-year-old child would be a political taint that would be disadvantageous to Reinhard. If the young Emperor were to be kidnapped however, that would be an entirely different story…

* * *

**So up to this point, what had changed? In this universe, Kircheis survived. He's still Number 2 in the Lohengramm camp. Oberstein's influence is checked. Kircheis has managed to persuade Reinhard not to launch an attack with Geiersberg Fortress at that inopportune moment - Kempf did not die, the lives of thousands of soldiers were saved. Hurray for the Empire!**

**Annerose still leaves for her small cottage, but because of rumours instead of her guilt over Kircheis' death. But she doesn't cut Reinhard off completely. Reinhard finally decides to speak to Kircheis about his feelings for Annerose, but by unspoken mutual consent, they don't do much about it. **

**Instead of getting the locket to remind himself of Kircheis after his friend's death, Reinhard gets the locket as a birthday present from Kircheis...minus the lock of red hair. Which I felt would be weird, since Kircheis is still alive and Reinhard can touch that mass of red hair anytime he wishes.**

**Yup, that's about it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hmm, a reviewer, duked, pointed out that Yang Wen-li's release from the inquiry committee on Heinessen was due to the Imperial attack on Iserlohn Fortress using Geiersberg Fortress. If it had not occurred, he'd most likely have resigned. However, since Reinhard decided _not _to attack at that inopportune moment in this story, I'd like to assume that Yang was released because there were rumours of the impending Imperial attack via Phezzani merchants...Again, I've not really considered it too deeply, because I'm not interested in the Alliance side of things...**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

_May 3rd U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Office_

Kircheis stood stock still by Reinhard's side as Reinhard discussed the issue of the kidnapping of the young Emperor with the Chief of Staff, Oberstein. More often than not, when Reinhard wanted advice on shady political matters, he turned to Oberstein. There was one thing that Kircheis was grateful for however; that Reinhard had never once kept him in the dark. They were too close for that.

Absently, Kircheis noted Hildegarde's absence, then reminded himself that she had gone to visit Annerose, to persuade her to accept some guards around her cottage, in view of the threat of terrorism. Reinhard had reluctantly decided that his sister needed some time and space alone, which was why he had sent Hildegarde to Annerose, instead of sending Kircheis or heading there himself.

Kircheis shook his head mentally as Reinhard told Oberstein about the offer that Boltik, the Phezzan ambassador, had made to him a couple of days ago. Boltik had mentioned the advantages to Reinhard should the young Emperor be kidnapped; namely, that Reinhard would be rid of the young Emperor, and would be able to declare war with a justified reason on the Free Planetary Alliance, as that was where the young Emperor would be taken. Kircheis remembered with a frown that Boltik, when pressed for a reason, had then said that Phezzan wanted to control the space communications and trade in a unified Empire.

Reinhard had driven a hard bargain; he would only work with Rubinsky if Phezzan granted free passage through the Phezzan Corridor to the Imperial Fleet. Kircheis, used to how his friend's mind work, knew that this meant that Phezzan's day as an autonomous planet was numbered. Truth be told, looking at things from a political viewpoint, this plan was exactly what Reinhard needed; the opportunity that months ago, Kircheis had asked Reinhard to wait for. Yet, the deceit involved left a bad aftertaste in Kircheis' mouth. Even so, despite his disapproval of the plan, he would not dissuade Reinhard from this course of action just because of his own moral issues. Just as he had not protested two years agao when Reinhard had to implement a scorched-earth policy to counter the invasion by the Alliance, because it had been necessary for victory.

"Besides, whether or not I cooperate with them depends on if they succeed," Reinhard was resting his face on his elbow even as he casually spoke of a plot that would change the history of the universe. "If they succeed as they plan to, I'll use it as an excuse to attack the Alliance. But if they fail, I'll punish Phezzan itself for committing the crime of abducting the Kaiser." Kircheis' eyebrows went up in surprise. He had no idea that Reinhard had considered that possibility, but really, he should have known. Reinhard was not merely a military genius; his friend was also a political genius who would try to turn everything to his advantage, because he firmly believed in his goal. Reinhard's self-conviction was a double-edged sword. It was a trait that Kircheis admired, that he knew he himself did not possess. At the same time, he was also aware of the dangers of such self-conviction.

In any case, Oberstein himself seemed surprised at Reinhard's insight. "You've considered that far?" Kircheis knew that Reinhard must have glared at Oberstein for the implied slight. Reinhard's tone was irritated as he said, "Of course. I'll repay Phezzan for underestimating me." And Kircheis had to smile at that. _Many people often underestimate Lord Reinhard, but they always regret it, sooner or later. _He thought of some of the inept superior officers that they had had in the military and the high nobles of the Lippstadt Alliance who had been defeated in the civil war…Would Phezzan be next?

Kircheis' thoughts were drawn back to the present when Oberstein mentioned that Vice Admiral Molt, the officer currently in charge of palace security, would most likely commit suicide for his failure to prevent the abduction of the young Emperor. Kircheis was startled; he had not thought of that very probable consequence, and wasn't it his duty to consider all the nitty-gritty details that Reinhard overlooked in his plans?

"Put him to death…?" Reinhard's voice was soft as he struggled with that possibility. On instinct, Kircheis wanted to vehemently protest against the very idea, since causing the death of an innocent human _who was supposed to be on their side_ repulsed him, but he forced himself to remain silent and let Oberstein present his points.

"Vice Admiral Molt is an old-fashioned man. If the Kaiser is abducted, even if you pardon him, I'm afraid he'll be too proud to take advantage of your kindness." And even if Kircheis did not know the man very well, he saw the cold, hard logic in Oberstein's words. Molt's death was inevitable if the plan to abduct the Kaiser was carried out successfully.

Reinhard was steadfastly not looking at Kircheis as he replied, "I understand. It can't be helped. When the time comes, we'll make Molt take responsibility. But only Molt. Nobody else." Only a person who knew Reinhard very well could hear the underlying pain in his voice.

"Your Excellency…" Kircheis started to protest, even if he was unsure of what to say. Technically, this was a political decision, and one in which he had no say over. Yet Kircheis had never let little things let that stand in his way before. His voice died in his throat however, when Reinhard raised a hand. "Not this time, Kircheis. It's necessary." There was a ring of finality in his tone, a hint of steel in his voice that warned Kircheis against continuing.

And so Kircheis kept silent. He knew that Reinhard knew of his disapproval, because Reinhard knew him. As Reinhard did with regards to his scorched-earth policy, this time too, Reinhard had chosen not to consult with Kircheis. Kircheis knew that this was because Reinhard wanted to take the entire responsibility of the affair onto his own shoulders. It was Reinhard's way of being kind to Kircheis, because he knew that anything else would tear Kircheis apart. It was a kindness that Kircheis highly appreciated. Thus, Kircheis would keep his silence. Even if he did not like the thought of an innocent man being forced to death because of political necessity. Even if he did not like the idea of a seven-year-old boy being forced to become a puppet of those who would care only about his status. Yet, who is to say that his view on this matter was the correct one? The sacrifice of one man and one child, to achieve a necessary step in the unification of the universe…

Kircheis stopped himself from thinking further. He would keep silent because Reinhard had made his final decision, and anything else would cause a fissure in their friendship. Kircheis wondered what that said about him, then detecting the pain in Reinhard's eyes, decided that he did not care. _May Odin forgive me._

Kircheis breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that Kesler would not be implicated in the affair, even if it seemed that Oberstein preferred otherwise. Oberstein then went on to justify his viewpoint, casting a glance at Kircheis as he did so. "You can't clear a path through the dense forest without uprooting some trees and rocks. All heroes have established thrones atop not just their enemies but a large quantity of allied corpses as well. There are no monarchs with clean hands. Their subordinates also know that. I'd like you to consider that, at times, to grant death is also a way to repay loyalty."

Those words sent a chill down Kircheis' spine, precisely because Oberstein was right. In the entire history of mankind, there were no founding monarchs who got to their throne without spilling blood. And to keep said throne was no easy feat either. All along, Kircheis had known that fact, but had perhaps shied away from examining it too closely. _Hadn't I promised myself long ago, that I would clear any obstacles in Lord Reinhard's way? _Now, that promise was coming back to haunt him. _Yet now, I'm the one putting obstacles in Lord Reinhard's way? Because of my own moral issues… _Kircheis closed his eyes. He had to, he realized, find a way to balance out the two. _My sense of morality and…my promise to help Lord Reinhard in his goal to conquer the universe…_

In his mind, Kircheis ran through his memories of his life with Reinhard thus far, culminating in Ansbach's assassination attempt on Reinhard. _I was willing to sacrifice my life for Lord Reinhard. I made my choice then and ever since then, I'll continue making the same choice. _It was no contest at all really. Weighed against the life and dreams of the golden-haired man sitting next to him, everything paled in comparison. _I'm a hypocrite, aren't I? I'm always concerned about justice, and with doing what is right, but when it comes down to it…Lord Reinhard is more important to me. _Making up his mind, Kircheis opened his eyes once more. This time, this time, the first time in his life, and hopefully the last, Kircheis would back down from doing what he thought was right. _If this is a sin, then let us bear this sin together, Lord Reinhard. This time, I will not leave you to carry this burden alone…_

When Oberstein had left the room, Kircheis turned to his friend and said softly, "I understand, Lord Reinhard. I know it has to be done." He watched sadly as Reinhard turned pain-filled eyes at him.

"As long as you understand, Kircheis." Reinhard close his eyes and exhaled. When he opened his eyes again, he felt only grim resolve and a cold determination.

* * *

_May 15__th__ U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Groundcar enroute from Annerose's Cottage to Schwarz Manor_

It was their first visit to Annerose since she had moved out two months ago. Reinhard and Kircheis had given her the space that she had wanted, but neither of them had been able to suppress the longing to see her. Hence, as soon as there was a lull in work, Reinhard had determinedly dragged Kircheis on a trip to visit Annerose.

As Kircheis had predicted, Annerose did not turn them away. She had welcomed them into the cottage where she lived in seclusion with a teenage war-orphan Konrad von Modell. Kircheis had had to suppress an irrational surge of jealousy when he had first heard the news, however, he soon found that Konrad was a kind, helpful boy who was protective of Annerose.

Reinhard however, had not been as easily placated. In between bites of chocolate cake, he had pouted and glared at Konrad until Annerose had detected his jealousy and addressed it by promising that nobody would ever replace Reinhard's position in her heart. The meal had ended in laughter and after that, they had only spoken of light-hearted matters, with everybody pointedly not mentioning what had caused Annerose to go into seclusion in the first place.

Now, in the groundcar, Kircheis could see that Reinhard was brooding once again. Trying to draw Reinhard out of his dark mood, Kircheis asked light-heartedly, "You're not still jealous of Korad von Modell are you, Lord Reinhard?" Reinhard scowled slightly, then shook his head and sigh. "It's not about that. It's just…not fair! After everything we've gone through to free Sister, and we still can't live together!"

Kircheis' heart ached with sympathy for his friend. He knew that the bond between Annerose and Reinhard transcended that of most siblings. For that matter, he himself felt the same heartache over the matter. Still, he ventured to give what little comfort he could. "Lady Annerose looks healthy and happy."

Reinhard shook his head sending his golden curls tumbling into his eyes. "That's not the point. Sister should be healthy and happy, but with us! We're her family."

Kircheis was touched. That Reinhard should include him in his definition of family in such a careless mention spoke volumes of how Reinhard truly saw him. Although Kircheis was very secure in what he meant to Reinhard, it was nice to have confirmation once in a while. "Let's give Lady Annerose some time, Lord Reinhard. Have some more patience and it will turn out fine."

Reinhard looked doubtful, but he nodded with a sigh. "That's all we can do for now." Then, his eyes narrowed as he regarded Kircheis. "Kircheis, does Sister's desire for space have anything to do with the matter between you and Sister that we don't talk about?"

Kircheis flushed indignantly at hearing it put that way. "Lord Reinhard!" Then he deflated as he realized that Reinhard's words were probably true. Even if he did not know how Annerose truly felt about him, he was certain that she knew of his obvious feelings for her. Yet she had never once revealed that she was aware of his feelings. Before, it had been because of her position as concubine of Friedrich IV. Now…Kircheis was not sure.

"I…" Kircheis took a deep breath as he look down at his hands, instead of making eye contact with his friend's piercing icy-blue orbs. It was the first time in his life that he was avoiding eye contact with his best friend, but given the circumstances… "I…I like Lady Annerose, Lord Reinhard," he whispered softly in confession, feeling his cheeks heat up. It was a good thing that he was so tanned, or else there'd be a fairly visible blush on his cheeks.

Besides Kircheis, Reinhard was trying not to blush himself. He knew his sister was a grown woman and that his friend was a grown man. He knew that Kircheis had feelings for his sister. Knowing and hearing that with his very own ears were two very different things however. His sister had always been the perfect woman in his eyes, always kind, gentle, caring and nurturing, just like a warm ray of sunshine on a cold and frosty winter morning. When he had thought about her in a male-female relationship, it had always been with rage and disgust, for the other person was the old, wrinkly, lecherous man who had been the thirty-sixth Kaiser. He had made it his life's goal to free her from that cage. And now, his best friend, whom he had always considered as close to him as his own hand, was in love with his sister.

"Uh…erm...alright," was all Reinhard could manage in response. He cleared his throat, looked pointedly out of the window in the opposite direction of his friend, then continued, "Do you…plan to…do anything about it?"

Kircheis had never heard Reinhard speak in such hesitant, uncertain tones before, but then, these were unusual circumstances. Unfortunately, he had no answer to give his friend as yet. "Lord Reinhard…" Kircheis put every ounce of pleading that he could summon into those two words, begging his friend to drop the subject. Which, thankfully, Reinhard did. The rest of the groundcar ride passed in silence.

In the driver's seat, Kissling carefully ensured that his facial expression was set in a blank mask as he tried his hardest to pretend that he hadn't just overheard an extremely sensitive and private conversation between the most powerful man in the Galactic Empire and his close confidante. As a military officer under the command of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Reinhard von Lohengramm, Kissling felt nothing but the utmost admiration, respect and loyalty for the golden-haired man that he was supposed to protect and serve. At moments like this however, he was reminded of the fact that this man, who would surely go down in history as an important figure of god-like proportions, was in fact three years younger than him and had barely come of age. And highly attached to his elder sister, whom he obviously had idealized into the perfect female.

Fleet Admiral Kircheis was also a man that Kissling highly respected. Soon after he had been appointed to his current position, the red-haired man had politely requested a practice bout with Kissling. In both hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship, Kissling had, with difficulty, tied with the fleet admiral. He had no doubt that if he had not shown that level of prowess, he would have not remained as Commander of the Prime Minister's Personal Guard any longer…

The conversation that they had about the latter's romantic feelings towards the former's sister however…well, Kissling had heard more perceptive, bold and decisive (and certainly less awkward) conversations from high school students tackling similar problems. No matter. It was not his place to comment or to judge. Kissling was nothing if not discreet. Everything he learned about the affairs of Reinhard von Lohengramm whilst in his service, he would carry to his grave.

* * *

_July 7__th__ U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall_

Kircheis was with Reinhard when he received the news that the Emperor had been kidnapped last night. He saw the flash of victory that lit up Reinhard's face, a flash that was gone as quickly as it came. Kircheis had then followed Reinhard to the Ministry of War, where they had been met at the entrance by Hildegarde, who had been sporting a worried expression on her face. _Did she suspect anything?_

Reinhard was currently receiving the report on the situation from Vice Admiral Molt and Ulrich Kesler, both of whom were kneeling in front of him to tender their formal apologies for their negligence. Kircheis watched with a compassionate expression as Reinhard dismissed Kesler to go about his duties. _Was that a flash of understanding in Admiral Kesler's eyes? _Kircheis knew that Kesler was a clever and insightful man; it was what made him so good at his job as Chief of Military Police. He thought back to the day that Oberstein had interrupted Kesler's report on Count Landsberg activities halfway. Reinhard had called out to Kesler as the latter was leaving, and had had a conflicted expression on his face before he dismissed the man again. Which would have been a huge tell, for a man with Kesler's experience and skills. Kircheis was certain that Kesler had his suspicions about the whole thing, what with Reinhard's uncharacteristic behaviour and the circumstances of the kidnapping. He made a mental note to speak to the man.

Kircheis watched in silence as Reinhard told Vice Admiral Molt, "At noon, I will inform you of your punishment. You will be confined to your office until then. Put your affairs in order so as to have nothing to regret." It was, Kircheis thought, an obvious hint for the latter to commit suicide. That would neatly solve the problem of how to punish Vice Admiral Molt for Reinhard. Even without asking, Kircheis knew that this had probably been Oberstein's idea. Even though it would be the easiest thing in the world to turn the anger that was boiling within him on Reinhard and Oberstein, Kircheis knew that he was just as guilty. For allowing this to happen.

When the audience ended, Kircheis bowed to Reinhard. "Your Excellency, I'd like to speak to Admiral Kesler." Reinhard regarded him with narrowed eyes, but gave him permission with a wave of his hand. Kircheis knew that Reinhard understood what he planned to do. It was his job to smooth things over with Reinhard's subordinates, however he himself felt about Admiral Molt's death. Glancing back at Reinhard's retreating figure, he noted that Hildegarde seemed to be following after Reinhard with dogged persistence. After her prior warning to Reinhard, the young Emperor had still been kidnapped – no doubt Hildegarde, with all her intelligence, suspected something fishy. Kircheis shook his head wryly. _I'll leave Lord Reinhard to deal with Fraulein Mariendorf…_

* * *

_Odin, Ministry of War, Corridor_

Kircheis caught up with Kesler with only a little effort. Despite the fact that the latter had been given orders to ensure that the young Kaiser did not leave the capital, Kesler seemed to be in no particular hurry to carry out those orders. Knowing how responsible Kesler usually was in carrying out orders, this left Kircheis with no doubts that Kesler had understood the true nature of Reinhard's orders.

"Fleet Admiral Kircheis," Kesler snapped out a salute which Kircheis returned. "Admiral Kesler." For a few seconds, the two men stared at each other silently. Kesler had a slight, polite smile on his face, waiting with what seemed like an infinite amount of patience for Kircheis to speak.

In the end, Kircheis gave up and begun speaking. "Admiral Kesler," Kircheis said with a sad smile. "I'm sure that you have no need of my advice, but…Please keep your suspicions to yourself. Please understand."

Kesler's eyes widened as he took in his colleague's expression and words. He had thought that Kircheis meant to warn him to hold his tongue. Naturally, he would have obeyed but this…this felt more like an entreaty than anything else. He thought back to what he knew of the man from their few interactions. Fair, honest and righteous. Kind and gentle to even his enemies, offering surrender instead of outright annihilation. And he understood that this man had been worried about his feelings about the political manipulations of Prince Lohengramm.

Feeling a smile tug at his lips, Kesler replied. "Of course, Fleet Admiral Kircheis. Please set your mind at ease. I am aware that Prince Lohengramm has his reason for everything he does. My loyalty to His Excellency is absolute." Kesler had pledged his loyalty to Reinhard von Lohengramm because he had admired the golden-haired man's talents and character. And Reinhard von Lohengramm had reciprocated; the man had recognized his talents and utilized it. The bond between them transcended a mere subordinate-superior officer's bond. It was more like that of a vassal to his liege lord, and had been that way since that day on Iserlohn Fotress, when a young Reinhard von Musel had promised to give Kesler a job that suited his capabilities.

Kesler also recalled the oblique promise that Reinhard von Musel, then merely a Rear Admiral, had made at that time, when Kesler had acted as a go-between for the late Lord Grimmelshausen to offer the eighteen-year-old the book that contained blackmail material on the high aristocrats.

_"I will trust you, as Lord Grimmelshausen trusts you. So I will ask you: Can you put this document under seal and take custody of it?" Reinhard had questioned._

_"Until when?" Kesler had asked._

_ "Until such a time when history is no longer monopolized by the aristocracy." Reinhard had said firmly and confidently._

At that time, Reinhard von Musel had hinted at his ambition covertly, but Kesler had understood it for what it was; a promise to overthrow the Goldenbaum Dynasty. It was a promise that Prince Lohengramm had almost fulfilled – only a few more steps stood between Prince Lohengramm and the Kaiser's crown. And Kesler had made his own promise in the parting salute that he had given to Reinhard von Musel; when called upon by the latter, he would serve.

Kesler had never been a humanitarian, else he could not have become Chief of the Military Police. He would uphold the laws, but…Prince Lohengramm's orders overrode everything else. If that made him complicit in the death of his innocent subordinate, then so be it. He would bear this burden as long as that was Prince Lohengramm's wish.

Kircheis nodded slightly uncomfortably as Kesler saluted and left. It was perhaps the first time he witnessed in close detail the absolute loyalty that some of Reinhard's subordinates had towards Reinhard. It humbled him. Since young, he had been accustomed to being the only one loyal to Reinhard in a sea of hostile intents, up until that stormy night a couple of years ago, when Mittermeyer and Reuenthal had been brought into Reinhard's confidence. At the same time, Kircheis felt a sense of joy and belonging, that he had fellow colleagues who felt the same loyalty that he did in protecting and serving Reinhard.

* * *

_August 20th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall_

All the Admirals and High Admirals under Prince Lohengramm's command had gathered in the huge, cavernous Meeting Hall used for intergalactic broadcasts. Reinhard von Lohengramm stood at the centre of the dais, dressed in the formal black and silver imperial military uniform of his station, with golden epaulettes at his shoulders and a red sash draped from his right shoulder to his waist. Instead of his usual white cape, Reinhard had worn the silver cape that went with the extremely formal uniform. Even after living with Reinhard for twelve years, Kircheis could not help but be dazzled by his friend's radiant beauty, brought out by the uniform he wore; he could only imagine the visual impact on those unused to Reinhard's looks.

Also on the dais, but out of range of the cameras, Kircheis stood in his Fleet Admiral uniform, complete with smaller epaulettes and a dark red cape. Reinhard had picked the colour of his cape, he recalled, to match the colour of Kircheis' flagship, the Barbarossa. Kircheis felt distinctly uncomfortable wearing the cape and epaulettes that looked so similar to Reinhard's own, and the fact that he was of the same military rank as his friend caused him even more discomfort. Even though Reinhard did not think of him that way, it was a fact that Kircheis had been Reinhard's loyal retainer and vassal ever since that night when ten-year-old Reinhard had sworn to overthrow the Goldenbaum Empire. And in future, when Reinhard succeeded in that endeavor, serving as a loyal retainer would be one of Kircheis' roles. Luckily for Kircheis' peace of mind, Reinhard was Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the military, and hence still outranked him.

Kircheis turned his attention to Reinhard who had begun his broadcast to both Imperial and Alliance territory. Reinhard spoke in formal cadences in his musical voice. "I formally acknowledge that terrorists have abducted His Majesty, the Kaiser Erwin Josef. The whereabouts of His Majesty, as well as the lawless criminals who have abducted His Majesty, have both become clear. The perpetrators are former high nobles led by a former Imperial High Commisioner to Phezzan, Johann von Remscheidt, a Count under the old system. The villains, hiding among the rebels who call themselves the Free Planets Alliance, have illegally announced the establishment of an exile government." And Kircheis had to shake his head at the folly of the governing body of the Free Planets Alliance. If they had just sent back the Kaiser to the Empire, even if Reinhard wished to declare war, he would have not have a justified reason to do so. Indeed, they could even have begun negotiations for peace if they had played their cards right by using Kaiser Erwin Josef as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations. Instead, by taking in the young Kaiser and cooperating with the former high nobles, the Alliance had sealed its fate. Justice was on Reinhard's side.

"I hereby declare: Having abducted the Kaiser by illegal, as well as cowardly means, the remnants of the high nobility who plan to try to reverse the flow of history and steal by force the rights that the people have established will receive suitable repayment for this atrocity. The ambitious men of the Free Planets Alliance who had illicit dealings with them and who also plot a rebellious war against the peace and harmony of space will not avoid the same fate. This mistaken choice must be rectified by appropriate punishment. What criminals need is neither diplomacy nor persuasion. They have neither the ability nor the intention to understand those. Only force will enlighten their foolishness. Hereafter, no matter how great the volume of blood that comes to be shed, bear in mind that these foolish criminals and conspirators are responsible." Reinhard raised his right hand in a gesture of war declaration, his brilliant glacier-blue eyes flashing with a fire that Kircheis was used to seeing in his friend's eyes. It was only at moments like this, and on the battlefields, that Reinhard was truly alive. _If you take the ambition and war out of him, there'd be nothing left of Lord Reinhard. Of course, that applies to me too. _Kircheis thought fondly as the broadcast was cut. Even if he disapproved, on principle, of Reinhard's plan, that did not mean he was unable to appreciate the joy that it brought to his friend at bringing Reinhard one step closer to conquering the universe.

* * *

**Kircheis is changing too. Less idealistic than before, finally able to accept that sometimes, shady dealings are necessary in Reinhard's quest to conquer the universe. Growing up.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Updates will be less frequent from now, since I've just started working. Sadly, I have very little time to write now, compared to when I was still studying. And I've not had the time to look through this chapter. I apologize in advance if there are any grammatical errors or the like.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

_August 30__th__ U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Conference Room_

Today, Kircheis was not standing at his usual position besides Reinhard's high backed leather chair. Instead, he had a seat of his own at the long conference table where all the High Admirals and Admirals sat, opposite Oberstein, and besides Mittermeyer. He was not here in his role as adjutant today; Rear Admiral Streit stood in his place. No, he was here today as a Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Armed Forces.

Kircheis listened attentively as the rest of the Admirals debated over Reinhard's ideas, even as he kept quiet. He had given his feedback to Reinhard the night before, at Schwarz Manor, where he was still living with Reinhard because the latter could not stand the thought of Kircheis moving out. Much to Kircheis' bittersweet contentment, Reinhard's plan had enjoyed tremendous popular support from the citizens of the Empire. Fearful of and aghast at the remnants of the high nobles' attempts to once more take away the beneficial reforms that they had received at Reinhard's hand, many able-bodied young men flocked to recruitment offices to join the military. Reinhard's enemies and the citizens' enemies were one. Kircheis should have been overjoyed at this sign of his friend's growing power and influence, but it was tempered by the fact that it had come about via shady political dealings.

So now, Kircheis watched and listened as Reinhard passionately revealed his plan to invade the Alliance via the Phezzan Corridor whilst feinting an attack at the Iserlohn Corridor. It was a sound strategic plan that Kircheis felt was the best that their side could come up with, given the constraints of Yang Wen-li being stationed at Iserlohn Fortress.

"Will it indeed go that well?" Reuenthal asked in a strange tone of voice. Asking that question under such conditions…it was a bold question…that almost verged on insolence. Kircheis noted that next to him, Mittermeyer tensed up. Luckily, Reinhard defused the subtle tension with his charismatic, sharp-edged smile that even his enemies could not find fault with. "I want to make it go well."

"What will be the name of the operation?" Muller asked, effectively dispelling the strangely disquieting moment. Kircheis nodded mentally. For all his youth, Muller was a tactful and sensitive person.

"The name of the operation…" Reinhard combed his hand through his golden locks before replying in his musical voice. "Ragnarok." In the legends, Ragnarok was the day of reckoning between the gods and the titans, which ended with the defeat of the gods. _Twilight of the gods… _Kircheis could feel a shiver of excitement course through his spine at that word. It had nothing to do with his feelings on the plan and everything to do with the very core of his being a military officer. And Kircheis doubted that he was the only one who felt it. The excitement building in the room ran through the veins of all the military officers – experienced, battle-hardened warriors all – present and roused their bravery and spirit like nothing else could. The opportunity to participate in the battle to end all battles…

Bittenfeld, the very embodiment of a brave and always-charging warrior, rose and cried out, "Your Excellency! Grant my Black Lancers the honour of being at the head of the formation!"

Not to be outdone, Muller too rose, and with all his youthful spirit, offered passionately, "Give my fleet the chance to participate!"

"Your Excellency, my fleet!" Farenheit, almost as aggressive as Bittenfeld in his tactics, jumped up to suggest. In that moment, every officer in the room fell in behind Reinhard. They thirsted for the chance to participate in this large-scale, ferocious and unprecedented battle; to leave their names in history. It was every single soldier's dream come true.

And as Kircheis sat there, quietly, before his leader and friend, and amidst his fellow warriors and comrade, he felt a sense of belonging, to the Imperial Armed Forces, that he had never felt before. _It's because of Lord Reinhard. He's the nucleus that holds everyone together._

_October 8__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_ Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall_

Again, Kircheis was standing with the rest of the admirals, hands behind his back in a posture of parade rest, facing Reinhard. Today was the day when personnel assignments for Operation Ragnarok would be announced. Even though Kircheis had already known all the details, since Reinhard and him had spent the past few months going through every single one of those details.

"First of all, we'll send a large fleet towards the Iserlohn Corridor," Reinhard announced. "The commander of the Iserlohn bound fleet will be Kircheis." Kircheis inclined his head in acknowledgement when his name was called. He would do his best, as he always did, to conquer Iserlohn in Reinhard's name.

"As second-in-command, Admirals Wahlen and Lutz," Reinhard continued. They had both worked well with Kircheis before, so Reinhard had assigned them to his friend again. "In addition, Geiersbrug Fortress, under the command of Admiral Kempf, will work with Kircheis to coordinate the attack. This movement will focus everyone's attention on Iserlohn. Taking advantage of that opening, we'll dominate the Phezzan Corridor in one blow and invade Alliance territory. I'll entrust that vanguard to you, Mittermeyer. The second formation, Admiral Muller." Mittermeyer and Muller nodded.

"I'll command the third force personally," Reinhard then stated. "I'll place the fleets led by Admirals Artringen, Brauhitz, Karnap, Gruneman and Turneisen under my direct command." Kircheis knew that aboard the flagship Brunhilde would be Chief of Staff Oberstein, Chief of Personnel Guards, Captain Kissling, Vice Chief Adjutant, Rear Admiral Streit and Adjutant, Lieutenant Lucke. Technically, as Chief Adjutant, Kircheis should be onboard Brunhilde too, but this time, his talents were needed elsewhere. That was the reason why Reinhard had hired Streit and Lucke in the first place – to stand in for Kircheis. In addition, Hildegarde von Mariendorf would also be travelling in her capacity as Secretary on board the ship.

"The fourth force, Admiral Steinmetz. The fifth force, Reuenthal." Kircheis knew that Reinhard had assigned the rear guard to Reuenthal because on the chance that after the Imperial Fleet invaded Alliance territory, the Phezzan Corridor became sealed, the fourth force would reverse and prevent this. And the fifth force, which went last, would have the heavy responsibility of connecting the Phezzan Corridor and Imperial territory. Furthermore, Bittenfeld and Adalbert von Fahrenheit's fleet would be standing by in reserve. Strong in offensive maneuvers, when the time came to deliver the death blow to Alliance forces, they would probably carry out important functions.

"I order Admiral Eisenach to support the Iserlohn fleet. Admiral Kesler will be Capital Defense Commander and Admiral Mecklinger will be in charge of rear support. Both will remain behind on Odin. The start of the operation is waiting for the departure of the Iserlohn fleet led by Kircheis. The date has been decided as Imperial Calender November 5th." And that was the end of that briefing.

_October 13__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Schwarz Manor _

When Kircheis finally returned to the manor after a long day, the maid, Karen, who greeted him at the entrance said that Reinhard was waiting for him in the dining room. Kircheis paused at that, slightly bewildered. It was already past nine. Surely Reinhard would have eaten by now?

When Kircheis entered the dining room, he saw Reinhard seated at the head of the table, waiting. "You're late, Kircheis. Sit." Then, Reinhard pointedly asked Karen to serve their dinner, before lapsing into a cool silence. _Lord Reinhard…don't tell me…you've been waiting for me to come back for dinner? _Kircheis was touched at Reinhard's gesture, but also worried about his friend's health.

After the announcement that Kircheis would be leading a fleet to Iserlohn came out, all of a sudden, Kircheis' workload exponentially increased, since he had to start preparing for the launch. As a result, these past days, by the time Kircheis returned to Schwarz Manor, it was usually around nine or ten o'clock, way past dinner time. He had not had the chance to dine with Reinhard for days. Usually, Reinhard and Kircheis shared breakfast and dinner together daily; Reinhard lunched with Hildegarde, although on occasion, Kircheis had joined them at Reinhard's invitation.

"Lord Reinhard," Kircheis said to his friend softly. "You haven't eaten?" Reinhard was toying with the empty wine glass in his hand disinterestedly, even as his icy-blue eyes gazed accusingly at Kircheis. "I wasn't hungry." He stated challengingly. Kircheis smiled at Reinhard's somewhat childish display of temper. _Oh dear, Lord Reinhard must be angry that I haven't joined him for dinner for three days._ Another person would have pointed out that he had been busy with work, work that Reinhard had given him in fact, but as usual, Kircheis accepted Reinhard's unfair wrath with his warm smile. Truth be told, Kircheis was glad that Reinhard still acted like a spoilt child with him, despite the change in the latter's status and power. _One day, not far in the future, Lord Reinhard will sit on the Imperial throne. When that day comes, will he still remain unchanged?_

As Karen entered with platters of food, Kircheis said, "Well, I'm starving, Lord Reinhard. Thank you for waiting for me. And please forgive me for my absence these few days, Lord Reinhard." Kircheis ended with a patient smile. He wasn't afraid of Karen overhearing their conversation, for he had had personally done a series of stringent background checks of all the staff members once he had recovered from his injury. He had transferred away all those who did not possess three qualities; discretion, loyalty and competence. Even though he knew that the staff had already gone through one round of selection prior to being hired, Kircheis was not taking any chances with his friend's safety. Indeed, much to Reinhard's amusement, he had done the same with the Prime Minister's Personal Guard, even going as far as to test Captain Kissling's hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. Of course, news of Kircheis' actions had quickly spread among the other admirals, who had teasingly praised him for his zealous loyalty to their liege lord. Although Kircheis was aware that the Oberstein had watched him with wary eyes...he could only shake his head at the man's suspicious nature. _Even if the worst were to happen, even if Lord Reinhard did become a second Rudolph..._Kircheis knew that he would never ever lift a finger in rebellion against Reinhard.

"Who said I was waiting for you?" Reinhard retorted, then reached out and tugged at Kircheis' red curls. Kircheis endured the playful gesture with his usual smile. As usual, when Reinhard realized that he was acting like a spoilt child, he humphed and changed the subject. As Kircheis took a bite of his potatoes, he basked in the warmth that Reinhard had brought to his heart with his simple gesture. He resolved to schedule his work around dinner for the next few days…perhaps Reinhard and him could have dinner at the Ministry of War instead? That way, he could continue working after dinner, and Reinhard would not be angry at him for missing dinner.

_October 20__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Annerose's cottage_

Kircheis watched as Reinhard claimed that he needed fresh air, then left the cottage, leaving only Annerose and him in the room. Mentally sighing, he knew that Reinhard had only done so in order for Annerose and him to have a private conversation. As much as he was grateful to Reinhard for his thoughtfulness, he did not exactly know what to say to fill the awkward silence. Since Reinhard had discerned his feelings, Kircheis knew that it was probably apparent to Annerose too. And the fact that she had not said anything meant that she probably did not want to act upon it?

Annerose broke the silence by saying softly, "Sieg, both of you…please come home safely." Kircheis turned to stare at the golden-haired woman sitting on the sofa by the fire. They had informed her of their impending foray into Alliance territory, and as always upon hearing news of them going off to fight, her eyes were filled with worry. But this time, this time, there was something different about her words. Usually, she'd ask Kircheis to take care of Reinhard, but this time, it appeared that…she valued both of their safety equally.

Kircheis exhaled and smiled. "Please don't worry, Lady Annerose. We will take care of ourselves." Then they fell into silence.

Kircheis had always known that Reinhard came first to Annerose, and would always come first. He knew that Annerose saw Reinhard not only as her beloved litte brother, but also as the child that she brought up as a mother would bring up her child. Such a bond would naturally rank above all other bonds that she formed in her lifetime, and Kircheis had accepted that. Was it possible though, that slowly, she was beginning to value him as much as she did Reinhard?

It was not something that Kircheis was in a hurry to confirm. He could wait, with infinite patience, for their relationship to develop. Even so, there were many other things that he had to consider, Reinhard's feelings, first and foremost. He knew that Reinhard felt extremely possessive towards him. If Annerose and him developed their relationship to its logical conclusion…Marrying his best friend's elder sister…Kircheis shuddered to think of how hurt Reinhard would be at that. Even though he knew his best friend would support the marriage wholeheartedly, he knew that it would cause Reinhard great emotional harm. And then, there were the political factors to consider. As elder sister of Reinhard von Lohengramm, Annerose's marriage could destabilize Reinhard's reign, especially if Reinhard had yet to produce an heir…

All in all, it was not something that could be rushed. Smiling, Kircheis stood and headed for the door. "I will find Lord Reinhard, Lady Annerose." It was best, at this time, that he did not spend too much time alone with Annerose.

_November 18__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge_

"We've detected an enemy ship. Shall we pursue?" Rear Admiral Bergengrun, Chief-of-Staff for Kircheis' fleet, asked. Kircheis shook his head with a smile. "There's no need. We should let them spread rumours of our fleet's approach as widely as possible. Our enemy is not a lone battleship. It's Admiral Yang Wen-li and the Iserlohn Fortress. We should muster our fighting spirit against the greater enemy."

"Yes, sir." Bergengrun bowed his head. Kircheis nodded back. His subordinate's attitude was markedly different compared to the first time he had been assigned to Kircheis. Kircheis recalled with some humour, that the first time he had met Bergengrun, back when he had been commanded to put down the Kastrop rebellion, the latter had been carrying a bottle of wine and drinking heavily because he had not believed in Kircheis' ability as a commander. Now, two years later, Kircheis could not ask for a better subordinate.

Kircheis turned his attention back to the impending battle. Let's see…he had a fleet of roughly fifty thousand ships with him…and the aid of Geiersberg Fortress. The objective: to occupy the Yang Fleet while Reinhard attacked the Alliance's main force, or to recapture Iserlohn Fortress if the Yang Fleet left the fortress.

_November 20__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge_

Coming into view of the metallic behemoth that was Iserlohn Fortress, Kircheis gave the order to fire the first shots. The artillery from thousands of ships tore through space in streams of white light. However, they did not so much as make a ripple against the shiny liquid metal that Iserlohn Fortress appeared to be composed of.

That was fine by Kircheis. This frontal attack was not intended as anything more than a diversion in any case. With Yang Wen-li's intellect, Kircheis knew that all the Imperial forces had to do was to make it seem that they were a serious force to be reckoned with even if the Yang Fleet planned to pull out to fall back to defend Heinessen. In the meantime, Kircheis had to buy time for the slower Geiersberg Fortress, affixed with twelve warp drives, to make its way to the Iserlohn Corridor.

Howeve, even in the case of a diversion, Kircheis had given his all in arranging his fleet, in the best azimuth and depth for this attack. "Rear Admiral. Please inform Admiral Lutz to take a half-enveloping formation according to the prearranged plan."

"Yes sir." Bergengrun replied and left to carried out his orders. Kircheis' plan was to deploy Lutz' fleet at the edge of the Iserlohn Fortress' guns, then lure out the Alliance by threatening to stick to the guns' dead angle from the front.

As expected, the Alliance's fleet launched. Kircheis watched with satisfaction as Lutz gave the order for his fleet to advance rapidly, forcing an intermingling of green-painted Alliance ships and dark grey Imperial ships. This was to ensure that the Alliance fleet could not fire for fear of hitting friendly ships. With this technique, the Imperial fleet would then be able to get close to Iserlohn Fortress without worrying about the Thor Hammer, a huge canon beam that could decimate an entire fleet all on its own.

In the normal course of things, it would then turn into a war of attrition, with both sides sending out reinforcements to the main battle area. However, Kircheis was cautious. Yang Wen-li wasn't known as Magician Yang for nothing.

"Enemy reinforcements have come out," Bergengrun announced sometime later.

Kircheis nodded. "Let's send in Wahlen's fleet then." Then, he spotted something that sent a fissure of excitement through him. "Rear Admiral. Identify that ship please."

"Confirm ship type!" Bergengrun conveyed Kircheis' orders.

"Ship type collated. Battleship Hyperion!" Came the excited reply from the communications officer.

"The Hyperion is it? Isn't that Yang Wen-li's flagship?" Bergengrun's eyes were wide as he exclaimed.

Kircheis forced himself to think calmly. He had met Yang Wen-li once before, during the prisoner-of-war exchange. Yang Wen-li had not seemed like the type of fierce commander who would lead a fleet into battle in such circumstances. Shouldn't he be in Iserlohn Fortress, commanding the battle from a vantage point where he could see the larger picture? There was no tactical advantage for Yang Wen-li to be out here. It was not like Alliance forces were in danger of immediate defeat, and hence needed the morale boost of having their commander out on the very foremost frontline. Could it be a trap of some kind?

In any case, there was no reason for Kircheis to be drawn into an all-out battle, even if it would give him a chance to kill the enemy's fleet commander. "We'll stick to our plan. Rear Admiral, send in Wahlen's fleet."

"Yes, sir." Bergengrun replied. Was that a hint of relief Kircheis saw in Bergengrun's eyes? Kircheis smiled to himself. He had acted as the calm advisor to Reinhard for most of his military career; he did not need anyone to warn him of the dangers of swallowing what looked like extremely tasty bait.

Little did Kircheis know that by not taking the bait, his flagship Barbarossa remained in the middle of a stationary fleet. As a result, he had deprived a nearby Alliance assault-landing ship, containing the infamous melee infantry forces of the Rosenritter, of the opening it required to latch on to the flagship.

_November 24__th__,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge_

Kircheis watched as Geiersberg Fortress warped out a distance away from behind his fleet. Even expecting it, he had to admit that it was a sight to behold. For a fleeting moment, he wondered about Yang Wen-li's reaction to the sudden appearance of the Fortress, then cleared his head. What he needed to do was to convey his plan to Admiral Kempf, and to convince him to act accordingly.

A few hours later, Kircheis watched calmly as Kempf stared disbelievingly at him. "You want to smash Geiersberg into Iserlohn Fortress?!" Besides him, even Wahlen and Lutz, who had halted the attack on Iserlohn temporarily in order to regroup their forces, appeared stunned.

"The objective is to occupy the Yang Fleet, or to recapture Iserlohn Fortress. However, neutralizing the Fortress would also take out some of the enemy fleet, and they would have no choice but to retreat to Alliance territory. Iserlohn Fortress can always be repaired or rebuilt later on. This is the least costly way, in terms of human lives." Kircheis explained his reasoning. Wahlen and Lutz looked convinced, but Kempf still looked stubbornly mulish. Nevertheless, he remained silent as Kircheis continued.

"Admiral Kempf, I'd like you to organize the withdrawal of all personnel in Geiersberg Fortress, and set the course for it to smash into the Iserlohn Fortress at this angle. Admirals Wahlen and Lutz, please provide the distraction required to keep the enemy busy, so that they are unable to disable Geiersberg Fortress in time."

Wahlen raised his eyebrows at that. "Excuse me, Fleet Admiral, but what do you mean by disable Geiersberg Fortress?"

Kircheis smiled at that. "If the enemy fleet concentrates its firepower, it could quite possibly disable Geiersberg engines, and perhaps even cause an explosion. Defense wise, Geiersberg is not quite on par with Iserlohn Fortress. In any case, it is likely that Admiral Yang Wen-li would do his best to prevent the clash of the two fortresses. However, he would not be able to do that without sacrificing a significant portion of his fleet."

Glancing at his two second-in-commands, Kircheis added. "Please do not worry, Admirals. I have already sent a message back to the capital, requesting aid from Prince Lohengramm. The second part of Operation Ragnarok will proceed as planned. Are there any other questions?"

Wahlen and Lutz shook their heads as they saluted and left the bridge. Once outside, they exchanged glances and amused smiles. Kircheis had to be one of the most understanding, patient and polite commanding officers that they had ever served under. His use of formal speech with his subordinates, while not unprecedented, was surprising, and his encouragement of his subordinates voicing their doubts and questions even more so. Were they not on the battlefield, Wahlen felt like it would have been just like attending military school all over again, with an especially kind and patient instructor teaching him this time. Wahlen stifled a smile. Perhaps that was why a stubborn and unyielding old-school officer like Kempf could not appreciate Kircheis.

_November 27th,_ _U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge_

Kircheis watched carefully as the fleet under his direct command deployed at the edge of the Thor Hammer's range. They were intended to serve as distraction, and a warning, poised to head either left or right. At the edges of the corridor, on one side, Admiral Kempf was slowly but surely commanding the Geiersberg Fortress to head for Iserlohn Fortress, barely out of range of the Thor Hammer. Lutz's fleet was guarding Geiersberg as much as it could, from the top and bottom of the Fortress, poised for a quick withdrawal. On the other, Wahlen was leading his fleet into what looked to be a pitched battle.

A few hours later, the battlefield had turned into fierce melee battle on both sides of the corridor. A part of the Alliance's fleet, about ten thousand ships in total, had launched towards the Geiersberg Fortress. Kircheis nodded to himself. This was the expected attack that would target Geiersberg's engines. He watched for a moment, noting that Lutz was holding his own, although it was a fierce and protracted battle.

Then, Bergengrun stated, "Your Excellency, the enemy has begun its withdrawal from Iserlohn!" Kircheis answered with a nod. "Commence harassment operations. Inform Wahlen that he is to pursue the enemy no further than Iserlohn Fortress." Kircheis was understandably wary of Yang Wen-li's tricks.

"Rear Admiral, inform Admiral Kempf that he may slow down Geiersberg's approach to Iserlohn Fortress and to concentrate fire on Alliance ships," Kircheis added as an afterthought. It appeared that there was no need for him to go through his plan to smash Geiersberg Fortress into Iserlohn Fortress after all. Yang Wen-li must have seen that it was futile to continue his resistance, and that the death toll would only be higher if Geiersberg Fortress were truly to crash into Iserlohn Fortress. The only way he could have prevented that was to disable Geiersberg Fortress' engines, however, with the majority of his fleet held up by Kircheis' spread out forces, the best he could manage was a coordinated withdrawal.

Even so, Yang Wen-li would not leave easily. This was never more apparent when the Wahlen Fleet was lured into a trap by Yang. Luckily, Kircheis had anticipated such a possibility. He calmly dispatched a rescue fleet to break the enemy's fleet encirclement in order to allow the Wahlen Fleet to retreat, then glanced at the battlefield at the Geiersberg Fortress side of the corridor. Although putting up a valiant attempt to retreat, that fleet would soon be caught in the crossfire between Geiersberg Fortress and Lutz's Fleet.

_Soon, it'll end. Lord Reinhard…_Kircheis thought back to when they had first heard the news of Iserlohn Fortress' fall to Alliance hands. Reinhard had told Kircheis in a confident tone, _"We'll take it back from them, Kircheis, with our own hands." _Always so confident….and always right. _Soon, Lord Reinhard, soon, I'll lay Iserlohn Fortress at your feet. _

_November 29th U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Odin, Ministry of War, Balcony_

From his vantage point at the balcony of the Ministry of War, Reinhard watched as the fleets involved in the second part of Operation Ragnarok, led by Reuenthal and Mittermeyer, take off into space. The launch was, truth be told, earlier than anticipated, because Kircheis' request for additional forces had came to Reinhard earlier than expected. Reinhard shook his head fondly. Were it any other officer on the frontline, even if it were part of the plan, it would have rankled their pride to ask for aid so early on in the battle, and the missive would have undoubtedly reached Odin much later. Yet Kircheis must have known how eager Reinhard was to launch the other fleets, and of course, placed that above his own pride and dignity. _Always so gentle, Kircheis… _Since they were kids, Kircheis had always done his best to give Reinhard what he wanted.

"It's started, hasn't it," Hildegarde, dressed in Imperial military uniform too, was watching the launch besides Reinhard. He appreciated her intelligence and uncanny knack for analysis. For the sake of having someone to carry out an intelligent conversation with, more often than not, Reinhard brought her along wherever he went, so that he would not feel too lonely with Kircheis currently gone from his side.

"Yes, it's the beginning of the end, Fraulein," Reinhard replied, his heart already soaring into space, even as his nerves tingled with anticipation. _To be in space, at the frontlines once more…_ Reinhard clenched his fist around the golden locket that he always wore. _Soon, we'll be on the frontlines together, Kircheis._

_Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge _

Kircheis watched silently as the enemy fleet on the side of Geiersberg Fortress finally retreated. They had been almost decimated, caught between the crossfire of Geiersberg Fortress and Lutz's Fleet as they were. In the end, after buying enough time for the evacuation of Iserlohn Fortress, they were forced to withdraw.

Pondering silently, Kircheis could not help but admire Yang Wen-li's brilliance. Even with such odds stacked against him and Geiersberg Fortress on their side, Yang Wen-li had managed to deal a small blow to Wahlen's Fleet, and by sacrificing less than eight thousand ships, had successfully withdrawn from Iserlohn Fortress. Still, at least Kircheis would soon retake Iserlohn Fortress at minimal costs to his force.

"Rear Admiral, give Admiral Wahlen the order to retake Iserlohn Fortress, and warn him to check for bobby traps," Kircheis told Bergengrun. Trickster that he was, there was no doubt that Yang Wen-li would have some 'presents' for the arriving Imperial forces. Kircheis frowned as he considered what little he knew of the man. The one and only time they had met, Yang Wen-li had given him the impression of a mysterious man with hidden depths, beneath the laid back exterior.

_December 3rd, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Iserlohn Fortress, Command Bridge_

Standing at the command post, Kircheis could not help but feel a wave of nostalgia. _How many times have I been to Iserlohn Fortress with Lord Reinhard? Of course, I've only been to the command post a couple of times. _He shook his head with bemusement. Had it really been seven years since the start of his military career? For five of those years, Kircheis had always accompanied Reinhard wherever he went, no matter the battle or mission. It was only recently that Kircheis had had to lead his own fleet in battle, sometimes light-years away from Reinhard. _Hopefully, everything is going as planned for Lord Reinhard…Mittermeyer and Reuenthal will conquer Phezzan soon, I suppose. _

Shaking his head slightly to clear his head of random thoughts, Kircheis surveyed the command post, as around him, other military officers bustled in and out, carrying out their duties. Wahlen had reported that they had barely been in the nick of time to disable the bombs that Yang Wen-li had left in Iserlohn Fortress, so even now, the other military officers were checking the Fortress thoroughly for any more surprises, on Kircheis' orders.

Kircheis frowned suddenly as a thought occurred to him. Why should the surprise be limited to physical surprises? True, Iserlohn was important because of its strategic location and physical defenses. But there were many ways to neutralize such advantages weren't there? Furrowed brows and all, Kircheis turned to Bergengrun, who was patiently waiting for more orders from his superior officer. "Rear Admiral, please order the system technicians to go through the communications and navigation systems of the Fortress with a fine comb, for even the smallest signs of tampering."

"Yes, sir," Bergengrun saluted and left, his features grim as he considered the implications. It would mean a total overhaul of the systems, but if what His Excellency Kircheis feared was true, then not sifting out the bugs would be a disaster in the making.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sadly, due to time constraints, I'll be updating only occasionally from now on. I'll still try to write though, but we'll see how it goes...**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_December 15__th__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Phezzan, Landing Platform_

As the evening sun was setting, Muller waited with anticipation besides High Admirals Reuenthal and Mittermeyer. The sleek, beautiful white flagship, Brunehilde, Prince Lohengramm's personal flagship, landed with a grace that Muller silently appreciated. Then, he followed Reuenthal and Mittermeyer up the grey landing track to welcome their liege lord to Phezzan.

Standing at attention besides High Admiral Reuenthal, Muller snapped off a crisp salute as Prince Lohengramm disembarked. Clad in the silver and black Imperial uniform complete with a golden-collared white cape, Prince Lohengramm was bathed in the golden rays from the setting sun. A slight breeze ruffled his golden curls, which appeared all the more dazzling due to the reflected glow of the sun. At that one moment, Prince Lohengramm appeared to have rose from mortal coils to a divine status; truly the God of War – a moniker that the soldiers had gifted their brilliant, charismatic and beautiful leader with. At that one moment, Muller felt, as he was sure that everyone under Prince Lohengramm's command felt, that he would have offered up life without question if this golden-haired god in front of him so demanded. His mind flashed through the difficulties and sacrifices that he had endured since the start of his career in the degenerate and corrupt Imperial military, including his lost love. Yet, at this moment that Muller felt that everything was worth it, if only for the fact that it brought him here, to this place and this point in time, to have the honour of serving this man, Prince Reinhard von Lohengramm.

Around him, Muller heard the cheers from the Imperial soldiers surrounding the ship rise to a crescendo. By right, most of them should have been enjoying their shore leave in bars or clubs, de-stressing after the rigours of a long journey. Yet they had shown up here, uninvited, with no prompting at all from their superior officers, to welcome the god of their hearts. "Sieg Mein Kaiser! Sieg Mein Kaiser!" Came the cheers from the soldiers around them, expressing their feelings at the top of their voices.

"They're calling you Kaiser, Your Excellency." Even High Admiral Mittermeyer could not suppress the elation that he felt, Muller realized from the buoyant tone of his voice. " 'Mein Kaiser'. Our Emperor."

"They're impatient," Prince Lohengramm smirked. Muller could not help but feel a jolt of elation, a tingle of anticipation at those words. It was understood, but never spoken off in public, among Prince Lohengramm's subordinates, that Prince Lohengramm would take the crown for himself eventually. No, that wasn't true, Muller realized. His mind flashed back to that time in Geiersberg Fotress, when Fleet Admiral Kircheis lay bleeding of the injury he had suffered when fighting the assassin. _"Please, win the universe, Lord Reinhard."_ That was the one and only outright confirmation that they had had of Prince Lohengramm's ambitions, at a time when they had still been considering how they would consolidate power within the Empire. _Kaiser of the entire known universe…_And Muller was proud and honoured that he would bear witness to the birth of such a legend as a warrior fighting alongside his leader.

* * *

_December 18__th__, U.C. 798, I.C. 489_

_Iserlohn Fortress, Command Bridge_

Kircheis shook his head in admiration when the technicians finally found reported the nature of the tampering in the systems. It was a way for Yang Wen-li to disguise his communications as those belonging to Imperial Headquarters. A small thing, but Kircheis could see how Magician Yang could do significant damage with just this minor trickery. He told the technicians to restore the systems as quickly as possible.

A few hours later, Bergengrun came up to him bearing a piece of paper. "Communications from Imperial forces on Phezzan, sir. Its authenticity has been verified." Kircheis took the piece of paper and read through it. The paper bore news of Mittermeyer's and Reuenthal's conquest of Phezzan, and Reinhards subsequent arrival on the planet. Mittermeyer's vanguard fleet was expected to launch from Phezzan on December 20th, with other fleets to follow subsequently. Kircheis was to rendezvous with the rest of the Imperial forces as quickly as he could. Everything, it appeared, had gone according to the operation plan that Reinhard had unveiled. Kircheis gave a mental sigh of relief. _I wish I could be beside Lord Reinhard now…_Even now, Kircheis was still unused to not being by Reinhard's side when on the frontlines. The battlefield was a dangerous place where almost anything could happen. Since their first battle, Kircheis had tasked himself with the responsibility to protect Reinhard, and it was difficult to allow others to take over that responsibility. _Lord Reinhard…please stay safe… _He could not wait to return to Reinhard's side, where he ultimately belonged. Deep down in his heart, Kircheis' only wish was to remain by Reinhard's and Annerose's side, always and forever. Yet, now that Reinhard's ambitions were beginning to yield its fruits, Kircheis knew that such a selfish wish on his part could hardly be fulfilled; he had his duties and responsibilities as Reinhard's right-hand man, which would take him into the far reaches of the universe alone, even if the war was over.

_But maybe someday...when the universe is finally at peace...when I am no longer needed to serve...then I can finally devote myself to them..._

* * *

_Phezzan Corridor, Flagship Beowulf, Bridge_

Aboard his beloved flagship that was travelling silently through space, High Admiral Mittermeyer sat in his command chair, his mind still on the farewell words that his liege lord had said to him a few hours ago. _"Good luck. We shall meet again with all of you on Planet Heinessen, " _Prince Lohengramm had said with his usual confidence and now, Mittermeyer was on his way to Alliance territory for the first time in his military career. With his fleet as the vanguard of Imperial forces no less. Mittermeyer could not help but feel deeply honoured that Prince Lohengramm had given him this chance to utilize his talents on the battlefield. How long had it been since the last battle? Though Mittermeyer yearned for peace, like any normal man would, after being at war with the Alliance for over a hundred and fifty years, he could not deny that deep-down, his heart thirsted for the battlefield, just like any other warrior would.

* * *

_January 1__st__ U.C. 799, I.C. 490_

_Holbit system, Brunehilde, Bridge_

112,700 combat ships, 41,900 support ships, 16,600,000 men. That was what made up the Imperial forces that had gathered in the Holbit system, a star system in Alliance territory. Hilda watched from her position behind Prince Lohengramm's seat, between Captain Kissling and Rear Admiral Streit. The tight Imperial military uniform caused her no little discomfort, but she knew that it was a small price to pay for being allowed to witness Operation Ragnarok being carried out. Imperial military regulations strictly stated that civilians were not allowed on battleships.

Although Hilda had no taste for battle, she knew that she was witnessing a pivotal moment in history. If this really was the battle to end all battles…In fact, working for Prince Lohengramm, almost every event felt that way to her. She supposed that was because the golden-haired man seated beside her was a man who created history. But she did not let that fact colour her objective judgement. Despite all his brilliance, Prince Lohengramm was not perfect, and still, undoubtedly, human. In fact, Hilda was more aware than most of his immaturity and childishness, that hid a youthful innocence that she found precious.

However, there was none of that in Prince Lohengramm's expression now, as he listened to High Admiral Mittermeyer's tactical analysis. "To avoid hurting common citizens, we should choose this place as our battlefield," Mittermeyer was saying of the Rantemario star system. "I confidently predict so."

Hilda watched as Prince Lohengramm stood up."I agree with your observations. The Alliance has defended itself so far but they will have to go to battle soon to alleviate the people's worries. We must answer their salutations with politeness with the two-headed snake battle array," Prince Lohengramm declared sharply. There were murmurs of wonder and awe from the gathered officers, which Hilda understood was a manifestation of the admiration that they had for their leader, Prince Lohengramm.

"I will command the front, or the head of the snake," Prince Lohengramm continued confidently. Hilda noted the expressions of surprise and worry on the faces of all the officers upon hearing that statement.

"Are you saying that you yourself are going to command the front?" Admiral Muller asked with slight disbelief. Hilda could sympathize with the admiral, for she too felt that her heart would fall out at that announcement. She saw Prince Lohengramm nod in response.

Admiral Muller then cried out, "That's too dangerous! The Alliance force is weakening, but that brings about the possibility that it will become a cornered rat. Please allow Admiral Mittermeyer to take the front and it would be better if Your Excellency stayed in the rear and watched us." It was apparent to Hilda that Admiral Muller was highly worried about Prince Lohengramm's safety.

"In this battle array, there is no 'rear', Muller," Prince Lohengramm's tone was calm and composed, despite being questioned so abruptly by his subordinate. "The only other thing there is, is another head." Hilda noted that Admiral Muller's face still showed signs of worry, despite his resignation. She could sympathize; she had advised Prince Lohengramm many times to leave the frontline to Fleet Admiral Kircheis, High Admiral Mittermeyer and High Admiral Reuenthal, but Prince Lohengramm had flat-out told her that he wished to fight.

Prince Lohengramm then announced that High Admiral Reuenthal was to command the body of the formation, in essence, the true 'front' of the battlefield, since Alliance forces would undoubtedly attack the body of the snake in order to break up their formation. High Admiral Mittermeyer would command the 'tail', which would turn to surround the Alliance forces when it did attack.

Hilda watched as High Admiral Reuenthal accepted his order with confident smirk and a glint in his eyes. However, High Admiral Mittermeyer tried to protest, "But…"

Prince Lohengramm overrode his words with an implacable calm. "I came here to win, Mittermeyer. But in order to win, we must fight. And since we are fighting, I have no intention of staying where it's safe." Hilda could see all the admirals straighten at those rousing words. At moments like this, it was not difficult to see how Prince Lohengramm could draw so many talented warriors to serve under him.

"Steinmetz will command the second group," Prince Lohengramm continued with his orders. "Reuenthal's 'body' will be the third group. The fourth group will under Muller. The fifth group, the other head, will be headed by Mittermeyer. Farenheit and Bittenfeld will be in reserve and will enter the battle according to the situation. Teamwork between all the groups will be the key to victory."

After finishing with his battle orders, Prince Lohengramm gestured to Rear Admiral Streit, who immediately gave the order to serve the glasses of champagne to everyone present.

"Even though we're at the frontlines, we can still celebrate the new year with a glass of wine. Prosit!" Prince Lohengram stated. The toast was echoed by everyone present, including Hilda, who took care when draining her glass. She knew what a lightweight she was when it came to alcohol, and did not wish for this glass of wine to prevent her from carrying out her duties later.

After Prince Lohengramm gave the order for dismissal, Hilda followed him off the bridge.

Mittermeyer gazed at his liege lord's retreating figure. Turning to Muller, who was standing beside him, Mittermeyer commented with a mixture of admiration and resignation. "Just like I expected, he thinks like a warrior first. He seeks the meaning of life only from victory as a result of battle. Any born ruler would not care about how we win." Muller nodded fervently in agreement. But they could not deny that that quality was part of what led them to follow him willingly, with all their heart.

* * *

_January 21__st__ U.C. 799, I.C. 490_

_Rantemario system, Tristan, Bridge_

Just as Prince Lohengramm had predicted, Reuenthal's fleet was the first to encounter the enemy. "Thirty minutes have passed," Reuenthal's chief-of-staff reminded his superior officer. Reclining in the command chair, Reuenthal nodded. "It's time to move. Let's put on a show for the Alliance. All ships , full speed ahead." His subordinate quickly saluted and carried out his orders. Reuenthal pressed his fingertips together. _Well now, let's see how the_ _enemy reacts to this provocative action, shall we? _

A few hours later, Reuenthal's chief-of-staff reported fierce fire by the enemy. "They're concentrating their fire on one spot! If this continues, we'll be split up!" Upon hearing that, Reuenthal smirked. "Oh? Interesting. It seems that fear and desperation can be a powerful motivator at times."

Reuenthal watched the screen as two small fleets from the Alliance charged into the Imperial formation, like arrowheads from a spear. _Hmm, it'd be foolish to meet a strong piercing attack like that head-on…_"All ships, retreat. For now, retreat and disperse the enemy attack. Only a small part of the enemy's fleet is pursuing; they'll reach their limit soon."

Reuenthal then watched with an air of sardonic amusement as the enemy fleets launched themselves into the midst of Imperial ships with the air of kamikaze fighters. It was apparent that the enemy was not even thinking of the consequences of such an all-out attack.

A couple of hours later, the enemy finally had had enough and started turning back. Of course, the Imperial forces were not going to allow them to slip back unmolested. One by one, the sub-fleets in Reuenthal's fleet spun around to fire on the retreating enemy.

Then, Reuenthal noted that the other Imperial fleets were closing in on the Alliance forces as well; it appeared that Prince Lohengramm had given the order to close the double-headed snake formation. Reuenthal smirked once more. With such a large number differential, with Imperial forces outnumbering Alliance forces by three to one, and with Prince Lohengramm in command, Reuenthal was confident of Imperial victory.

* * *

_Rantemario system, Brunehilde, Bridge_

Reinhard was excited. The thrill of being on the battlefield coursed through him, setting his nerves tingling with the fire of anticipation. How long had it been since he had last been on the frontlines? _Too long, _he decided with a smile. Sometimes he wondered what he would do once he had finally conquered the universe, and there were no more battles to fight…Still, Reinhard was not a man given to deep introspection. And the battlefield was no place for such thoughts. Shaking his head, Reinhard focused on the here and now once more.

Analyzing the tactical map of the positioning of Alliance and Imperial fleets, Reinhard noted that Mittermeyer's fleet, true to its name of Gale Wolf, had almost broken through the fleet on the Alliance's left flank. Fahrenheit's fleet, on the other hand, appeared to be trying to sneak around to the enemy's rear for a two-pronged attack. It was just like Fahrenheit, really. Both Fahrenheit and Bittenfeld were highly geared towards the offensive by nature.

But Fahrenheit appeared to have forgotten about the gulfstreams unique to the Rantemario system. The currents emitting from the sun in this system prevented his crossing to the rear of the Alliance forces. Reinhard nodded with satisfaction as Fahrenheit's fleet retreated to concentrate on long-range firing; it was the wisest move under those conditions. Considering that Imperial forces were winning, there was no need for the Fahrenheit fleet to risk the casualties that would result from forcefully crossing the currents.

Reinhard then looked for the other reserve fleet…Bittenfeld's Black Lancer fleet was…Reinhard smiled wryly as he noted that Bittenfeld appeared to be moving his fleet towards his own fleet. In an instant, Reinhard discerned Bittenfeld's intentions. Bittenfeld knew that Reinhard would probably give the order for an all-out attack soon, and so hastily positioned his fleet so as to be in the best position for an offensive across the gulf currents. _That Bittenfeld…_Reinhard could not help but think that his subordinate lived up to his reputation of an untamed tiger, although the orange-haired admiral was more like a tame kitten in front of him. He found Bittenfeld's honesty and non-malicious straight-forward character refreshing, which was why he had never once requested that the latter reign in his outspoken nature.

Sitting back, Reinhard tapped the arm of his command chair thoughtfully as he sat back to enjoy his subordinate's performance.

* * *

_January 22__nd__, U.C. 799, I.C. 490_

_Rantemario system, Brunehilde, Bridge_

"Our victory is still inevitable. But the enemy is still under control and in good order." Reinhard's Vice Chief Adjutant, Rear Admiral Streit reported Reuenthal's latest communiqué to him. Twirling his fingers through his golden curls, Reinhard then listened as his Chief-of-Staff, Oberstein gave his opinion. "The enemy's commander is a very experienced one. If he concentrates on not losing, even Admiral Reuenthal will have problems. I think that we need to deal a critical blow and cause heavy damage."

Reinhard smirked. "I guess we must use it." Turning to Streit, Reinhard commanded, "Signal Bittenfield: 'Hang the enemy commander's beret on the Black Lancers spear and deliver it to me.'" With that, Reinhard gave what was essentially the signal for the final battle to start; all the admirals in his fleet understood that signal.

* * *

_January 23__rd__, U.C. 799, I.C. 490_

_Rantemario system, Brunehilde, Bridge_

Reinhard then sat back to watch his forces begin the all-out final attack on the Alliance forces. He watched with wry amusement as true to the commander's personality, Bittenfeld's fleet rushed head-on through the current instead of going around it. Bit by bit, his forces were eating away at the Alliance's forces. Victory was already theirs; it was just a matter of time.

Then, a few hours later, Reinhard heard the panicked announcement over the open channel on the communications system. "We're under attack! We're being attacked from the rear!" Even though Reinhard could feel the tension rise with just that statement, he himself remained calm. Noting that the announcement came from Muller's fleet, he quickly calculated the positioning of the suddenly-arrived additional Alliance force. He thought of the possibility that the force in front of them was a decoy, with the Alliance's true aim being to cut off their escape route. Or was it…a psychological attack? After travelling thousands of light years away into enemy territory, there was a deep-seated fear of being cut off from their homeland, which could affect the soldiers' morale.

Indeed, in an instant, Reinhard heard cries of "We're being cut off! We won't be able to return to our homeland! We're going to be isolated!" on the open channel. Irritation coursed through him even as he noted that the yells came from Mittermeyer's fleet. He knew that some of the officers operating the communications system must have started panicking, else there would not be such a lapse of military discipline. He would have to do something, or the fires of fear would spread. And the Alliance forces…

As expected, the Alliance forces in front of them begun to fire and retreat at the same time. "It will be difficult to resolve this, since we concentrated our forces, believing it was the final battle." Oberstein stated in an emotionless tone.

Reinhard could not stand it any longer. Standing, he gave the signal to mass-broadcast his words to the entire fleet. "What are we afraid of? If there are new Alliance forces, we'll just crush them one by one. Do not panic! Retreat in order! Even if they cut off our rear, we'll just crush the Alliance and take Heinessen and then return to the Empire through Iserlohn. That is all."

Mittermeyer's features came on screen. "My conduct was embarrassing. I apologize. We became so disordered even though we won. We may have become too accustomed to victory and forgot how to react to surprises." Ending with a bow, Mittermeyer expressed his apology for the panicked cries from his fleet.

Reinhard was magnanimous enough to forgive such small mistakes. "It's only natural. Even I didn't expect them to have the reserves to pull this kind of trick. This may be just to confuse us, but we'll proceed with caution."

"Yes, sir," Mittermeyer replied. "Could this be the work of Yang Wen-li?"

Reinhard glanced at the tactical display again, his lips twitching with amusement. "No one except that trickster could pull this off so effectively." He watched as the Yang fleet set its course for what Heinessen. _You've bought the Alliance a short reprieve this time, Yang Wen-li. But soon… I guess there's a thing called a 'natural enemy'…_ "Tiamat, Astate, Amlitzer and now Rantemario…" Reinhard murmured to himself as he gazed out at the stars. Then he grinned as he clasped his hand around the golden locket that he now constantly wore as a comfort object, feeling the thrill of meeting an enemy to rival him course through his veins. _Soon…_

* * *

_February 2nd_, _U.C. 799, I.C. 490_

_Gandharva system, Uruvasi, Brunehilde, Bridge_

Leaving Admiral Lutz in command of Iserlohn Fortress and Admiral Kempf in command of Geiersberg Fortress, Kircheis set off with his and Wahlen's fleet to meet rendezvous with the rest of Imperial forces at the newly constructed military base at planet Uruvasi of Gandharva System. Imperial forces now totaled 180,000 combat ships and 20,000,000 soldiers. However, Kircheis knew that even though they had taken both Phezzan and Iserlohn, their long supply lines were still a problem. Having read the communiqué from Reinhard, he knew that the Yang fleet, best in the Alliance, was now free to move as they wanted. Kircheis knew that Reinhard was probably worrying over this problem too…

After their four month long separation, finally, in just a couple of minutes, Kircheis would see Reinhard again. He felt his heart beat quickened at the thought of reuniting with his best friend once more.

Stepping onto the bridge, Kircheis gazed up at the golden-haired man reclining on the command chair. Upon noting his entrance, Reinhard immediately stood up and strode towards him. _Four months…_Kircheis' hungry eyes took in the minute changes in his friend even as he snapped out a crisp salute. Reinhard's golden curls were even longer than before, and he was slightly thinner, but other than that, his friend looked exactly the same.

"Kircheis!" Calling out in a voice full of delight, finally, Reinhard came to a halt merely an arms-length away from Kircheis.

"Lord Reinhard!" Kircheis responded in kind, smiling widely, happiness bubbling within him at seeing his friend healthy and alright after a long separation. As Reinhard's hand fell lightly on his shoulder, Kircheis basked in the warmth of that physical contact. Then, he recalled where he was; on the bridge of Brunehilde, in the sight and hearing of many other officers. In fact, Wahlen was standing directly behind him!

Kircheis had not forgotten that in public, Reinhard had to treat him just like his other subordinates, or it could cause discontent and unrest. In that respect, Oberstein's firm disapproval of their private friendship had its point. Kircheis tilted his body into a slight bow, subtly removing Reinhard's hand from his shoulder. "Your Excellency, I have not failed you."

As he straightened, Kircheis caught Reinhard's irritated glare at his subterfuge. Conveying his placating feelings as best as he could through his gaze, Kircheis stood back as Reinhard delivered an official statement. Then, Reinhard turned around with a pointed swirl of his white cape, and left the bridge.

Kircheis stared after the retreating figure with mixed resignation and amusement. He turned to give Wahlen an apologetic smile, then hurriedly jogged after Reinhard, before effortlessly falling into step half a step behind his back.

Wahlen's gaze was soft as his eyes followed after his liege lord and his superior officer. He had watched the subtle interaction between them with a hidden, tolerant amusement. It was at times like this that he remembered that these two capable and powerful men were but young men in their early twenties. His mind wandered back to the first time he had met them. At that time, Prince Lohengramm was still Commander Reinhard von Musel, and Siegfried Kircheis a Lieutenant Junior, of an even lower rank than him. Yet the bond between the two had been apparent even then, Wahlen recalled. Kircheis had been the only one whom the Commander had shared his plans with. And with a grin, Wahlen recalled a particular mock-battle exercise, when he had managed to knock Kircheis' battle axe out of his hands because the latter had been distracted by the sight of the Commander in 'danger' – even though it was merely a mock-battle. Wahlen shook his head in amusement and respect at the intensity of Fleet Admiral Kircheis' devotion to Prince Lohengramm. He supposed that was why all the admirals, even the brash Bittenfeld, considered Kircheis a role model to follow in serving Prince Lohengramm.

* * *

_February 5th U.C. 799, I.C. 490 _

_Gandharva system, Uruvasi, Brunehilde, Prince Lohengramm's private quarters _

Kircheis watched worriedly as the doctor examined Reinhard. His friend had developed a fever suddenly, after the fruitless discussion about Imperial operation plans a few hours earlier. Now, both Kissling and he waited with bated breath for the diagnosis. This was the first time in a long while that Reinhard had actually developed a fever; his friend was usually the paragon of health. Kircheis could not help but worry about the seriousness of his friend's illness. And why had Reinhard suddenly taken ill?

With a pang, Kircheis listened as the doctor said, "There's nothing particularly wrong with you. It seems that you have a fever from some rest. Today, and possibly tomorrow. It's a simple solution, but it probably works best." Kircheis breathed a sigh of relief at that, even as his brows furrowed. Just how hard was Reinhard working?

For a moment, Kircheis thought that Reinhard might refuse to rest, but his friend nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. It's good to get some rest once in a while. When my body is not well, my decisions will also be poor. Kissling, tell everyone that we'll make the operational decisions later on. It will not do to be hasty." Kircheis watched as Kissling bowed and left the room with the doctor in his wake.

Worried, Kircheis took the seat that the doctor and vacated and sat down by Reinhard's bedside. "Lord Reinhard, please don't overwork." Pouring a glass of water, he passed it to his friend to drink, before helping Reinhard to lay down on the bed.

Reinhard smiled. "Don't worry so much, Kircheis. Or those beautiful red hair of yours will turn prematurely grey."

Kircheis's eyebrows were still drawn together in a worried furrow. Still, he tried for a light-hearted tone, "Thanks to you, Lord Reinhard…"

Reinhard sighed. Did Kircheis think he could hide his worry from him? "Alright, alright. I'll leave all the work to you then, while I lay back and rest. And when we return to Odin, I'll give you half of my workload too."

Kircheis nodded solemnly. "Yes, Lord Reinhard. Please rest for now." If he could, he would take over all but the most important of the work from Reinhard, so that his friend would not have to toil so much. He knew that a lot of the work came from the political aspect, and resolved to talk to Hildegarde about it. As for military matters, Kircheis decided to talk to Streit and Lucke. As adjutants, they were supposed to take over the small matters so that Reinhard would have the free time to make command decisions…And he should probably find someone to take care of Reinhard, full time, given that he was unable to do so himself. Hmm, he could probably ask Hildegarde to see if she had anyone in mind…

As long as Kircheis was on Brunhilde, he might as well do as much as he could for Reinhard. Having thus decided on the matter, once Reinhard was asleep, Kircheis quickly crept out of the room to perform his tasks.


End file.
